


Bringing Up Babies

by CynthiaK2014



Series: Lord of the Rings [4]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-24
Updated: 2015-05-23
Packaged: 2018-03-31 22:24:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 48,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3995263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CynthiaK2014/pseuds/CynthiaK2014
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Those whacky Elven rings of power.  We've got Elrond/Glorfindel; Gandalf/Perri; Galadriel/Celeborn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Elrond  
*************** 

“Listen to this, ‘Del.” I barely restrained my laughter over the latest letter from the Vestella. “Legolas writes ‘Gandalf and Perri can not be parted for more than an hour before one goes looking for the other. Our wizard has a permanently surprised look on his face and a smile that stops just short of beaming. Perri shines like the stars overhead and can not stop touching Gandalf as if to reassure himself that he is really there. They need their own home but for the moment, Gloin and Lorrin have moved into the Elder’s home deep in the mountain that we call White Cap.’” 

I looked up and found my lover smiling over at me. “They sound well matched, my love. Perhaps they are as happy as we. The letter from Galadriel is more restrained but she also sounds rather optimistic. ‘Winter touches lightly upon Lothlorien and the children have taken to skating on the rivers when there is ice and sliding down the hills when there is snow. Just the other day, Celeborn took Haldir’s dare and slid down a veritable mountain of snow, ending up buried to his shoulders. Haldir was laughing so hard that it was a long moment before we got my poor husband dug out of the drift. Luckily, he took no harm and the sport is growing in popularity.’”

I could no longer restrain my laughter and ‘Del joined in until we had to breathe. “I swear that time is running backward, beloved. All of us are rejuvenated and we’re entering our second childhoods. Why did I ever think that we were through with Middle-earth?”

My lover leaned over and kissed me so soundly that Legolas’ letter fell from my suddenly lax fingers. His hands carded through my hair, loosening the braids that he’d braided himself just a few hours ago. The room was suddenly much too hot or perhaps we were just wearing too many clothes, I thought dazedly.

“I think you may be right, my love. If we are to enjoy our second childhood, I suggest we adjourn to our bedroom so we can . . . play.” He said in a low voice while his hand drifted down my chest to my belt.

“Yes,” I gasped and stood on suddenly shaky legs. “I believe that your counsel, as always, is excellent and should be acted upon immediately.”

He arose and stalked me straight into the bedroom where we discovered the joys of making love all over again.  
********   
Galadriel  
********

“Sweetheart, you should try it,” Celeborn urged me, opening those big blue eyes of his and giving me that sweet, innocent look that had melted me so many centuries ago. “It’s great fun and I’ll make sure that you don’t end up like I did a moon ago.”

“Dearest Celeborn, not even if you made me a sled of surpassing beauty and safety, would I throw myself down that well worn track you’ve made.” I smiled at him and let my robe fall open just a little further than normal. “We have a cozy fire, brandy warming on the hearth, a lovely soft fur on the floor before it. Does it remind you of anything?”

Leaning back in his chair, he thought while running his fingers through the softest hair in Lothlorien, including mine, I thought ruefully. I regarded him fondly and let one leg slowly appear through the slit in my new blue robe. He noticed that, finally and I saw the moment that he gave up on the sledding idea and began to consider the seduction that I’d planned for the evening.

“The evening that we were finally alone, our vows exchanged, our parents away to marry off another pair and just us in the tree loft in northern Lothlorien.” He began to unbutton his shirt and I watched with almost the same anticipation as I had then. “I believe that you were wearing a fetching robe much the same color as the one you’re wearing now.”

“And you were taking just as long as you are now.” I teased him, rising to my knees and sliding my hands up his thighs to the buttons on his pants. “We talked of the weather.”

“Snowy for this time of year, isn’t it?” He said in an almost word for word question. His hands slid to my shoulders and his caress made my nipples begin to harden.

“Yes, the temperature is exceeding cool . . . for this time of year.” I finished unbuttoning him and he peeled off his shirt then leaned in to kiss me. I never tire of his kisses, not even after all the centuries we’ve been together. Each one reminds me of the love that grew year by year, bringing us to now.

His lips moved down my throat and I gasped when he nipped at the hollow there. “Even though it is . . .” he nibbled where he pushed the heavy silk from my shoulder. “Cold outside, I believe that we’ve discovered a way to keep warm.”

Sliding me back onto the fur, he stood and let his pants fall to the floor, standing before me in all his naked glory. Mine, I thought with greedy satisfaction, all mine. Crouching at my feet, he slid his hands from my ankles up my legs, parting the robe as he neared my molten center. I was already shivering and all we’d done was touch.

There, his fingers slid into my aching sheath and I arched my back and came. He chuckled and leaned in to lap my climax from me. “Just the first, my love.”

*************   
Gandalf  
************* 

Perry massaged my back with the strong sure strokes that felt so very good. “Next time, my love, listen to Sam when he tells you that the ice has made the path treacherous. You almost did permanent damage to your spine when you flew over the flagstones and landed on the tiles.”

Having felt every single tile when I measured my length on the ground, I was not inclined to argue with him. “I promise to heed his warnings from now on.”

He kissed the back of my neck and moved down a little further. “Since you are so contrite, I shall forgive you. Perhaps I could entice you to stay in bed a little longer this cold and snowy morning?”

Since I was comfortably warm even though I lay naked in our bed and I had an equally naked Perri atop of me, I thought that a most reasonable request. “Consider myself enticed, beloved.” 

He chuckled and dribbled more oil on my back before going back to easing the aches from my lower back where I’d fallen most heavily. “Thank goodness, Gandalf, I just don’t know what I would have done had you said no.”

“You would have thought of something, Perri. I have noticed that your quick brain is almost always ahead of mine. Oh,” I sighed as a knot, I hadn’t known was there, dissolved into bliss. 

He kissed the spot lingeringly and I began to heat, the way I always did when around him. “I have to be quick, Master Wizard, if I am to keep up with you. You’ve got a nasty bruise here. If it’s not gone by morning then we shall go to Rheanas and have him look at it.”

I looked over my shoulder and blew my hair out of the way. “I didn’t even feel it, love.”

He dimpled at me and moved back a few more inches so he rested on my thighs and his hands smoothed over my lower cheeks. “I shall check here most carefully, in case there are more.”

“Oh, yes, do that.” I quavered as those slim hands slid over my ass, massaging it into heated bliss while I hardened to steel. His shaft dragged along my cleft and I shivered at the thought of how good it would feel sliding into me. He must have read my mind because he palmed my cheeks apart, exposing the place where I needed him.

Then he began to lick me all the way from the top of the cleft down to my balls.

*************   
Elrond  
************* 

Glorfindel was insatiable this afternoon, I thought dazedly. I’d already come twice and he once but those clever hands of his were busy hardening me again. I’d disobeyed his tender command to stay still so now my arms were tied above me to the headboard while he played my body like he played the lyre. I was sweating at the delicate torture and he licked each bead from my skin as if it was the finest of spices.

“That’s it, beloved. Relax and let me touch you. I promise to make you feel good.” He crooned to me. 

I tried, really I did but it felt so good that I had to move. “Please, ‘Del, stop teasing and fuck me.”

“Such language, beloved, I’m shocked.” He pinched my left nipple and I arched into it with a hiss. So he pinched the right while I writhed beneath him. 

Then my aching cock was sucked into the haven of his hot wet mouth and I thrust up and came for the third time. While I was quivering, he turned me over and bit my right ass cheek before plunging two dripping fingers deep within my aching hole. I shouted and felt my cock try to lift once more.

“So tight, my love, you’re always so tight for me.” He bit my other cheek while gently rolling my balls in his clever fingers. “What was it you wanted me to do, El’? I seem to have forgotten.”

I had to take a deep breath so my voice didn’t quaver. “Fuck me, ‘Del. Fuck me now. Fuck me hard. Keep fucking me until I scream.”

“Yes.” He said and pulled out his fingers before thrusting deep, impaling me on his beautiful cock.

“Havens!” I shouted and felt his hands begin to slap my reddening cheeks while he thrust over and over against my sweet spot. I was burning within and without by the time I was hard again. My cheeks were probably bright red but I didn’t care because ‘Del had thrust deep and pulsed so deep within me that I could feel it all the way to my heart.

“Come for me, love,” he said quietly and I spurted out the little fluid I had left while he flooded me with his burning seed. Stretched out along my back, he nuzzled my neck and kissed it slowly from one side to the other. “So good, El’, it’s always so good with you.”

“I love you, my golden Elf.” I decided that I’d stay here forever so long as he stayed, too.

****************   
Galadriel  
**************** 

I sipped the brandy before handing the glass to Celeborn. We sprawled on the white fur rug, almost but not quite ready for another round of lovemaking. I pleasantly tingled from his teasing touches and he had yet to come inside of me. We hadn’t taken our time like this in a century or more. The destruction of the One Ring had freed our lives of an ever growing feeling of despair.

My husband leaned over me and the mischievous smile should have warned me what he was planning. He tilted the glass and let the last of the brandy drip onto my breasts. “You are sweet already, Gala, but I think I can improve on your taste.”

He lapped the beads of liquid from my tightening buds and I peaked for him. Suckling sweetly at my breast, I felt my sheath ache for him. “Cel’, please Cel’, now.”

“My sweet Queen, are you sure?” He teased his fingers in my curls, tweaking that nub that sent me quite insane.

“Yes, my Lord, I am quite, quite sure.” I wrapped my hand around him and tugged hard.

Chuckling, he slid between my legs and slowly eased his thick shaft within me. I gasped as I always did when it had been awhile and hummed with satisfaction when he was fully seated within. I flexed around him and he smiled down at me, the firelight turning his blond hair a delicate auburn. His hands cupped my breasts and he squeezed just short of pain while I begged him to move.

“So demanding, my Queen, perhaps I prefer to simply stay just as we are.” He teased me with a mock-serious look.

I dug my fingernails into his legs, flexed my whole body and toppled him over so that I looked down upon his laughing face. “Perhaps not, my Lord, I have the urge to go riding this evening. I have just the steed in mind.”

He chuckled and flexed up, hitting that sweet spot inside of me that made me sing. “Then you shall have what you wish, Lady of the Woods.”

We rode together for a blissful amount of time until I felt him draw tense. He reversed us to our former position and impaled me one last time before flooding me with his seed while I quivered into my sixth climax of the night. He quietly slumped onto me and I wrapped my arms around him, murmuring those sweet endearments that I hadn’t used in much too long.

This was a night of love that we would remember for some time to come.

**************   
Gandalf  
************** 

Perri’s hands were tormenting me almost into release. After licking me to steel, he was slowly sucking my brains out through my cock. I was on my back while he nibbled up one side of my shaft, sucked the crown into his moist heat, then nibbled back down the other side. His fingers kept rolling my balls in some arcane pattern that I had yet to decipher.

No matter, it was going to kill me anyway. I moaned pitifully and his dancing glance took heed of my state and he finally began to suck strongly, gripping my cock hard and sliding up and down until I had no choice but to come. I relaxed into the messy sheets, boneless and more content than I’d ever been in my life.

“Dearly beloved,” he leaned up and kissed me, sharing my taste with me.

We tasted good together, I thought lazily. Opening my eyes to look at him, I found the satisfied smile on his beautiful face that I enjoyed seeing the most. “You were inspired, Perri. But I have left you unsatisfied, it seems. What more would you have of me?”

He grinned the urchin-grin that the children of Friendly used to such great effect. A slim hand slid behind my balls to the small hole he’d prepared so tenderly earlier. “I want to be inside of you, Gandalf. Are you too tired?”

“Harrumph!” I snorted in mock-anger. “Young whippersnapper, a wizard is never tired. He is always precisely ready for his young Elf lover to come inside of him and drive him right out of his feeble little mind.”

Perri laughed and rolled me over, making sure that I had a pillow under my hips. His slick fingers teased my entrance muscle before sliding deep and seeking the hot spot that he’d found earlier. I was too relaxed to get hard again so soon but when he slid that surprisingly large cock of his deep inside of me, I twitched. 

The few Elves I’d seen before had long slim cocks but Perri’s had surprised me. Long and thick, I’d encircled it with my fingers and rather licked my lips at the thought of taking it inside of me. Radagast had affectionately called me a ‘pushy bottom’ and I’d told Perri that while I enjoyed giving, I loved receiving.

He’d kissed me sweetly and preceded to fuck my brains out.

For a virgin lover, he’d proven to be an excellent giver. And right now, he was slowly but surely thrusting harder and deeper, just the way I was telling him. “More, Perri. There, oh right there, my love. Havens!”

His hands gripped my hips and pulled me up onto my hands and knees so he could get deeper inside of me. I cooperated by pushing back in perfect counterpoint to his thrusts. My whole body was tingling even though my cock had yet to firm. Something deep inside of me broke open and demanded that he fill me and fill me now.

“Now,” I shouted and he impaled me one last time, flooding me with his seed.

His weight bore me down to the mattress and I sighed in contentment. I could feel his seed racing through me, his beautiful cock pulsing within me and his blessed warmth heating my back from top to bottom. A lazy tongue licked behind my ear and I sighed happily.

“That was intense, sweet Gandalf. I felt as if I was flying.” He kissed the spot he’d just licked and then bit it. “Beloved, why is Narya glowing like that?”

******************* 

“Sweetheart, I don’t think Nenya has ever glowed like that when we were making love. Has it?” Celeborn drew my attention to the pulsing white stone.

******************* 

“El’, that’s kinky, even for you.” Glorfindel chided me lovingly. “How are you making Vilya glow like that?”


	2. Chapter 2

Elrohir  
*********** 

I wasn’t quite sure why Rheanas and Lorel had invited us to dinner but Elladan just laughed and tweaked my nose, calling me a ‘doom-and-gloomer’, for which I chastised him most severely. We were almost late for dinner. But Lorel had made a sumptuous feast for us and nothing was said but the most pleasant of conversation so I began to relax.

After dinner, we sat in the front room and Rheanas poured us each a goblet of winter brandy before standing before the fire with his hands clasped behind his back. “Gentlemen, Miriel has asked me to speak with you.”

I sat up a little straighter and looked at the apprentice Elf healer with a question in my eyes. She blushed a little and my heart sank. She wanted El’ or me and that wasn’t going to happen.

“Miriel is asking you to bond with her, both of you.” He said with a slight smile while my jaw dropped and I looked between them in amazement. “She has no desire to interfere with the love you share together but she would like to share hers with you both. It is an interesting dilemma and one I expect you’ve never had to face before. Her mother and I have reflected on this and while it is unusual, successful triads are mentioned in the histories.”

“Lorrin said that it happened frequently among his people.” Her soft voice caught my attention and I looked at her, really looked at her as a possible mate.

She was slender and rather short for an Elf, her blonde hair upswept to keep it out of her face while she was working. I’d heard Frodo call her pixie-like and that described her well. She had a sense of humor and El’ liked her. I liked her myself if it came to that. But could we share ourselves with her? Occasionally we’d bedded a friend here and there but never together.

“You do understand that Elrohir and I love each other intensely and . . . physically?” El’ said hesitantly.

She nodded. “I do. I ask that I join in physically when we feel right together. I would like to have a child or two and either of you would be able to give me one. I do not look to usurp the bond I see between you. I was hoping that it might stretch a little to include me, that you would not find it a burden to make love with me.”

Actually, I could see that very easily. I nodded. “May we think about this and take counsel of each other? It would be a big step and not one that we’d ever envisioned.”

“Certainly.” Rhea smiled and relaxed a little. This had to be hard on him and Lorel, who hadn’t spoken a word.

As if she’d read my thoughts, her gentle voice spoke up. “This is a new thought for us, also. You are both quite desirable mates for any Elf girl. What you must decide is whether you have enough love to give to another, which is the only way this triad could work. A bonding is a delicate state that requires constant nourishment from each partner. Yours would require that much more to remain equal and I will not have my daughter slighted.”

Elladan arose and crossed to Lorel, holding out his hand to her and she took it. Then he dropped a kiss upon it. “We will think long and hard upon this intriguing proposition, I promise.”

Then he turned to Miriel and kissed her hand. I contented myself with a bow to each and we took our leave in a state of shock. I kept my mind a blank while we made our way home. Snow was in the air but we’d brought in two big bucks and several mountain sheep for the larder so we could relax for now. El’ wanted children, I’d always known that. It wasn’t a priority for me but he had looked longingly at Legolas’ babies and even now took every opportunity to hold them.

The older they grew, the more I was beginning to enjoy them. Pharin was walking now if a little unsteadily and she wanted to examine everything in her path. Glimmer walked, no he ran everywhere, often ending up flat on his nose before getting back up to run some more. Spring would bring untold new beginnings for them and it was fun to think about teaching them to shoot a bow.

We walked into our front room and hung up our cloaks. I took a good look around and thought about the changes that would need to be made if Miriel moved in. This room was probably all right but we’d need another bedroom and a kitchen if she wanted to cook occasionally. The bathroom was all right but where would we put the baby if we had one?

“Let’s take a bath, Elrohir and redesign the cottage later.” El’ read my mind with surprising ease and pulled me towards the bathroom. He undressed me quickly while I repaid the favor. Once we were in the long marble tub, splashing in the hot water and soaping each other, I brought up the proposal.

“It would bring the respectability that we lack and the children that you want.” I was of several minds about it.

“Father has accepted us along with the rest of Friendly. We get to play with all the babies if we just ask. We don’t have to add a third person unless we want to.” He said while massaging the ball of my right foot.

“Yes, well that’s true, El’ but you like Miriel and so do I.” I moved restlessly, suddenly unsure of all I’d known about myself.

He left my foot and moved up until he was lying on my chest and we were nose to nose. “I love you, Elrohir. You are my heart and soul and you always will be. The question is do I have enough love to also love Miriel and any children we might have?”

I hugged him close and thought very hard of my own emotions. The urge to create a family had been growing if I was honest with myself. The example of the others was a potent one. Seeing Legolas heavy with child had made me envious and I’d wondered what Elladan would look like were he pregnant. But the blindness of Merry and Pip’s daughter seemed to be the result of them being first cousins. 

It would be that much worse with brothers. If we were to grow our family, it would be by adoption or . . . Miriel. I refocused on the beautiful face of my only love, waiting patiently for my thoughts. “I love you, Elladan. I’d given up the idea of having a family unless we adopted one. I’m possessive, El’ and I always have been. I don’t know if I could share you.”

“Then we’ll say no, my heart. I will not have you upset by what-might-be’s.” He kissed me gently and I knew that if I agreed, he would give up this path. Just like that he would give in to me and follow me. 

I savored his kiss and knew that I could not do that to him. When our lips parted, I smiled at him and brushed back a lock of hair that had come loose from his braid. “I am not so narrow a soul that I can not value a new idea or the person who brings it to me. She is a brave one to even bring it to her father and mother, let alone to us. I like her and if you think we can do this without hurting either her or us, I am willing to bond with her.”

His eyes lit up like the firework candles that Gandalf loved to shoot off during a celebration. “Really? You think it will work? How would it work, do you think?”

I chuckled. “We must ask her what she would like. One at a time or both of us together might intrigue her.”

“Together?” He said with rather a shocked smile.

“Together, my dearest love,” I reassured him. “I’m told that’s a turn-on for some women. Together, we could satisfy her and ourselves, too. We’ll talk with her tomorrow.”

***********   
Miriel  
*********** 

We met together and separately twice more before they agreed to our bonding. Father was still a bit leery of us but Mother looked into their hearts and told him that it would be all right. Legolas and Gimli were surprised at our request but Lorrin told them that it was necessary, although he wouldn’t say why. We held the ceremony in the dining hall since there was a blizzard outside.

Not perhaps the most auspicious of beginnings but the mood inside was happy and our bonding feast a delight. When we left, the three of us together, I was well sheltered between my bondeds and we made the small cottage that was my new home without any mishap. While we shook off the snow, Elladan took my cloak and Elrohir helped me off with my boots.

We’d fallen silent and I looked between them while they had a wordless conversation above my head. Then identical smiles broke out and they enclosed me in a hug that lifted me off my feet. I laughed out loud and kissed them both before Elladan swept me up in his arms and followed Elrohir into their bathroom. We began running the hot water in the huge tub while piece by piece they unwrapped me and each other. 

I expected some scars and they had them. I had wondered what their groins would look like and it appeared that they were identical there as elsewhere. Mother had told me what to expect in our lovemaking but after being washed from both sides at once, I began to pity her single lover. I reclined against Elladan’s chest with his arms around me and his hands gently playing with my breasts.

The strangest feelings were flooding me and I moved restlessly, needing something more. Elrohir tickled his way up my legs so they parted for him and then I had those callused fingers gently tickling my mons while I shivered again and again. Then his fingers were inside of me and I moaned, it felt so good. 

“Miriel, I’m going to break your barrier. There will be some pain but I’ll be quick.” He told me tenderly.

Barrier . . . I looked at him and realized he meant my hymen. “Please, El’, something anything. I’m burning up.”

He grinned and kissed me while thrusting his fingers deep inside where my flesh tried to keep us apart. There was a brief tearing pain then he hit something outside and in and I shrieked into our kiss. Waves flooded my body with warmth and every time he moved his fingers, more warmth came. 

When our lips parted, I was panting. “More, El’, I need more.”

They both chuckled and Elrohir moved me down a bit further so he could palm my cheeks and lift me to the right height. “Are you sure, Miriel? We could play some more to get you used to it. You’re really tight.”

“That’s so sweet, El’,” I panted, reaching out and pulling his hair hard. “In me, now.”

He laughed and inexorably pushed just the crown inside of me. It did hurt a little but I bit my lip and relaxed the best I could and he pushed further in. It felt like he was shoving a tree branch up into me but finally I had him all. He waited and while he was waiting, he kissed Elladan then me. Something in the sight of my bondeds kissing made me even warmer than usual.

And then he began to rock just a little while I shrieked again. “El’! Havens, what is that warmth? It tingles.”

He smiled down at me and leaned in to suckle on my right nipple. That made the tingles bigger yet. Behind me, I could feel Elladan’s shaft hard against my lower back and suddenly I was greedy, I wanted them both. So I shifted back and forth against it and listened to him gasp.

El’ pulled back just enough to see what I was doing. “Naughty Miriel, teasing poor Elladan that way. Perhaps it’s time for him to feel your sweetness.”

And just like that he pulled out, leaving me empty and aching. But he was pulling me into his arms, kissing me then turning me so I faced my other bonded. Elladan grinned at us both and raised me enough to slide inside my well-stretched sheath. I moaned softly and smiled at the lovely filled feeling. “More, ‘Dan, more.”

“Greedy Miriel, how very lucky El’ and I are.” He thrust in then pulled slowly back, in and out while I burned. “The warmth comes from a gland just here,” he ran his fingers through the curls that grew on my mons and tweaked . . . something that made me want to shriek again. “And there’s another deep inside your channel that usually a cock can hit just right.”

“Yes, whatever, more, ‘Dan, right there.” I moaned and just knew that I would be embarrassed later but I really needed more . . . right . . . this . . . minute. “’Dan!”

The shivers became a wave that took my body and shook it so hard, I passed out. When I came to, I was snuggled between my bondeds in their big bed while they kissed above me. I ached deliciously but I knew I wasn’t up to another taking just then. “Beloveds, I want to see you make love to each other.”

They drew apart and looked down at me with identical expressions of disbelief. Elrohir spoke first. “Are you sure, Miriel? It’s our bonding night and your needs come first.”

“You took care of my needs very nicely but it was your bonding, too. We all three stood and swore ourselves to each other. That means the bond between the two of you as well.” I’d thought about this and known what I had to do. “Besides, I used to try and picture you together, making love. Now I can see it.”

El’ laughed while ‘Dan blushed. But then he reached for the oil and began to coat El’s shaft with it while they kissed again. I moved to one side and trailed a hand down ‘Dan’s back to the hard cheeks, marveling at their beauty. I watched curiously as El’s hand came up between his brother’s legs and two glistening fingers plunged between the cheeks and into the small hole shielded there.

I was getting hot again and I shifted a little, listening to their breathy little groans. Then El’ pushed ‘Dan onto his back and raised his knees up towards his chest. I watched wide-eyed when the large shaft slowly pushed inside that tiny hole. ‘Dan was panting the way that I had been and I felt like doing the same. Finally, it was all the way inside and they paused to kiss each other.

“Mir’, he likes his nipples sucked when he takes me.” El’ said quietly and I instantly moved over while ‘Dan wrapped his legs around El’s waist so I had more room.

His nipples were peaking already and I marveled that male and female nipples would be so alike. Leaning over the broad chest, I hesitantly kissed first one then the other. They hardened further and I sucked gently while ‘Dan began to pant again. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see his shaft hardening while El’ moved in and out of him but much harder than he’d done to me.

I wanted that and one of these days, I would get them to give me that powerful sharing. But for now, I wrapped a hand around ‘Dan’s shaft and tentatively squeezed. He moaned out loud and I froze only to have El’ smile and kiss me hard. That made me squeeze even harder and ‘Dan began to laugh and moan at the same time.

“That . . . is so . . . hot . . . oh there, El’. Mir’ keep squeezing.” He shivered under us and I started sliding my hand up and down his thick shaft, my fingers barely meeting around it. “Havens . . . yes . . . give him to me, El’.”

And Elrohir sped up and slammed into him while I squeezed hard with both hands. The same seed that had filled me earlier erupted from his crown and flowed over all three of us. I was aching inside again and I vowed that I’d have both of them inside of me within the hour. I wanted to be filled and filled again.

I planned on having trouble walking before we left this cottage again. And if the gods approved, I’d be carrying their babies safe inside of me.


	3. Chapter 3

Gimli  
*************** 

“Legolas, did you notice Gandalf at dinner tonight?” I was snuggled in beside my bonded with his beautiful blond head on my chest while I threaded my fingers through his silky hair.

He chuckled and licked that sensitive spot beneath my chin. “His odd combinations were rather interesting. I wouldn’t have thought that dipping dill pickles in honey would taste very good but he seemed to be enjoying them.”

“Two days ago it was apples dipped in mustard.” I grimaced. “Do you think winter has changed his taste buds?”

Legolas stilled and I could feel his thoughts suddenly focus on something. It was odd but over the last two years, we’d grown so close that sometimes it felt as if we could read each other’s mind. I waited while he thought it through, my left hand rubbing his shoulders free of the ache that came with picking up, putting down then doing it again and again, then carrying two growing children around all day.

“Beloved, how long has it been since Lorrin came down to visit?” He raised his head and looked at me with wide blue eyes.

“Better part of a month, I expect. Papa is having so much fun exploring the mountain that they’ve only come up to the surface twice. You brought the babies up during the day to show them where I worked and they came to greet us. Then, last week they came down for supplies and we all met in the hot springs.” 

His smile was slow and a little uncertain. “I think you should invite them down for dinner at the dining hall tomorrow. In fact, I think this is an emergency and you should ring the bell in the mountain.”

I looked at him in consternation. “Pickles in honey are an emergency?”

“It is if Gandalf is pregnant.” He said quietly 

My mouth dropped open and I think my eyes tried to pop out of my head. “Pregnant? Gandalf is ancient, my love. Surely there is no way for him to get . . . to . . . with child?”

“Cravings,” Legolas ticked off his list with kisses. “Perri says that Gandalf is wearing him out in bed. He watched an icicle form the other day and wept when the wind broke it in two.”

“Damn, you went through almost the same pattern.” I thought back rather fondly on the early months of his pregnancy. “But there’s no morning sickness, love, he’s eating everything in sight.”

He leaned in and took my lips with a smile. I love kissing him and I always will, tonight was no exception. When next we had to breathe, he continued as if we hadn’t quit speaking. “Morning sickness does not come to all, beloved. I’ve known several female elves who were blissfully free of any sickness their entire pregnancies.”

“That’s not very fair, love, that you had to endure such anguish for almost four months.” I had hated that sickness because I could do nothing to alleviate it.

“I would endure twice the illness for it led to our delightful children.” He sighed and laid his head wearily back down onto my chest. “Even though they have the energy of a herd of charging horses. Tomorrow, Frodo and I are giving them to Nana, Merry and Pippin so that we may have an entire day of work in the archives.”

“Then I will make sure that Papa and Lorrin come back with me for the mid-day meal.” I chuckled and kissed his fair head. “They can exhaust them further so that we can have an early night and perhaps a bed picnic?”

His chuckle was faint and I barely heard him whisper, “My love.”

Then his breath was quiet and I knew he was asleep. All I had to do was hew stone and shape it for long hours; he had the care of two active almost one year olds. Now that they were walking or in Glimmer’s case running, he had to keep up with them. Luckily, they took a nap most afternoons but that was when he tried to get in an hour or two translating in his study.

I’d come home early one afternoon and found him sound asleep on top of a sheet of parchment, the quill pen still clutched in one hand. The twins were wide awake but playing quietly in their room with the set of building blocks that Merry had carved for them. Legolas had awoken when I tried to get the pen out of his hand and he’d apologized for his lapse.

As if I’d have been able to do any better, I thought fondly. Being a warrior and miner or archer and prince just didn’t prepare you adequately for bringing up two small children. Closing my eyes, I prepared myself for sleep with one thought still uppermost.

A pregnant wizard might be a very hazardous person to have around.

***************   
Lorrin  
*************** 

When the bell rang deep within the mountain, Gloin and I looked at each other in consternation. “We’d best get above. It must be serious.”

Laying down our tasks, I was shaping a crystal and Gloin was weaving a circlet to hold it when I was done, we prepared to leave our cozy home for the surface. “What if it’s one of the babies?”

I shook my head. “I am attuned to all five of the littles, they are fine.”

Gloin nodded but stepped up the pace while I gazed at him fondly. Inviting him into my old home had been exhilarating. He’d taken one look around, explored the complex of rooms that nature had hollowed out and settled in with a happy smile. The only drawback was our distance from the members of our growing family. That still surprised me . . . that I was part of a family again.

But I was and I was also part of the rebirth of magic users the likes of which hadn’t been seen since the First Age. I smiled at the thought that perhaps the children of Friendly would surpass even my kin. Once in the upper levels we met Gimli and he told us their news. I blinked and thought about what it might mean, Narya choosing to get his wearer pregnant.

We started down the mountain while Gimli brought us up on all the news. Salurr was with child and Cincall was busy carving a new cradle for her. Basteal, the Dwarven healer had finally arrived and was staying in Rheanas’ spare bedroom. He was a story teller and had settled in as if he’d always lived here. He was fascinated by Gimli’s twins and he watched them, taking notes all the while.

Glimmer seemed to like him but Pharin was taking her time with the gregarious dwarf. She was always a bit standoffish with new people although she’d taken to young Perri at once. Perhaps that was because he looked so much like Legolas but I silently thought it was because she saw the inner souls of everyone she met. I had often wondered what she would have thought of the late, unlamented Harriman. Perhaps I would spend some time with this new Dwarf, just to be sure he was all right.

Gloin raised an eyebrow at me but I shook my head with a faint smile. I would see first and speak later, if there was anything of which to speak. We reached the dining hall in time to greet Legolas carrying the twins and struggling with the door. Gloin took Pharin while I took Glimmer and we re-bonded with the sweet souls in the next few moments. I was doubly blessed to be a part of this wonderful family.

Sitting at the table in our normal spots, I looked up in time to see Gandalf come in arguing with Clothile about one of the scrolls they were translating. And it was plain to see that he was indeed pregnant. Perri followed them with a fond smile at the wizard’s gesturing hands. He was just a youngster and I wondered why Narya had chosen Gandalf instead of the young Elf to bear this special child. All through the meal, I listened and watched them interact with each other and the others of the community.

I also pondered how to tell them what I’d just discovered. When Legolas caught my eye, he silently asked me with a lifted eyebrow whether or not I’d discovered the truth. I nodded and watched him take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I’d have help with this task and I thanked the Old Gods for that aid.

A wizard in full-hormonal overload could be a very chancy thing, indeed. I ate more of Jallico’s delicious leg of mutton and listened to Perri speak of the song he’d been working on about the founding of Friendly. He half sang part of the first verse and I smiled at the memories his voice brought back to me. This valley had once rung with melodies from morning to night.

I had missed the sound of voices all those years that I was alone here. Under the table, Gloin’s hand rested on my knee while he looked a question at me and I smiled back at him. To have another share my life and home was the greatest blessing I’d ever received. I’d even thought about getting pregnant but the next few years when the littles of Friendly began to grow would take all my strength and wisdom.

And if I was not mistaken, another circle of mages was being created. Gandalf might be just the tip of this pregnancy ground swell. We needed to get messengers to Rivendell and Lothlorien. I had an inkling that the three Elven rings of power had a master plan all worked out. Poor Elrond might find himself a mother all too shortly. I’d never met the Lady of the Woods but I was willing to bet that she was pregnant, too.

When Miriel and the twins came in, brushing off a layer of snow in the entrance way, my eyes widened again. She also was pregnant. I’d need to look more closely but she wasn’t as far along as Gandalf so I could take care of him first then approach this most interesting triad of lovers.

The old days had never been like this. If a new circle was growing then one of these couples might be carrying twins. I just hoped it wasn’t Gandalf. He’d have enough on his plate without having the extra burden of having two babies growing inside of him. I couldn’t tell just by looking, I’d have to get close enough to have some hands on time with him.

He was either going to hex me into tomorrow or faint dead away. How in Middle-earth was I going to give him this news. I saw Perri look at me strangely and I nodded to him with a smile. “Perri, would it be all right if Gloin and I came for a short visit after this meal? I would love to hear more of your song.”

“Certainly, Elder Lorrin, I would be pleased to share my poor efforts.” He blushed.

“Not so poor, Perri, you have a lovely singing voice.” Gandalf defended his beloved.

**************   
Gandalf  
************** 

Something was going on and it involved all of the people around the table except for the twins. Gimli kept looking sideways at me as if I’d grown another head. I crunched the celery stalks after dipping them in my lemon pudding and thought about what might be wrong. Nothing came to mind so I put it aside and kept on devouring my food. I’d have to be careful if I didn’t want to grow a paunch like my old friend, Butterbur of Bree.

But the clotted cream and fresh baked tortes were calling my name and I just had to taste one or two. Smiling at Perri, I thought that with all my energy I might be able to talk him back into bed after our visitors left. The mid-day meal was finally over and we walked back to our home, chatting of this and that. The paths were free of the snow that had been falling for several days and the sun was shining so we walked home slowly.

I hadn’t had a home in centuries, traveling from one part of Middle-earth to the other. It felt distinctly odd to have one now and odder still to have someone with which I could share it. Perri strode at my side, his beautiful blond hair gleaming in the sunlight. Truly, I was the luckiest wizard in the history of the Istari. I had the urge to settle in and not travel for a year or more.

Hopefully, I’d have the chance to do just that. Frowning, I thought of the dark power that had ensnared me the year before. There’d be no rest if that darkness returned. Perri tucked his hand into mine and looked into my eyes with concern. I managed to smile and push that disturbing thought away, pressing a brief kiss to the warm hand in mine. I would not borrow trouble, I told myself.

We sat down in Gloin’s former front room and I watched the other four look among themselves almost nervously. “All right, out with it. Something has happened that I should know about so please just tell me.”

Lorrin stood before me with his hands clasped behind him. “Gandalf, you are pregnant.”

I blinked. “That is not funny, Elder Lorrin.”

“It wasn’t meant to be, Gandalf. If I’m correct, all three of the Elven ring bearers are now with child. It appears that the rings have decided to raise a second circle of power.” He spoke authoritatively and I felt rather faint.

“I can not be pregnant, Lorrin. I’m older than almost everyone in this room.” I almost but not quite sputtered.

“I’m sorry, Gandalf, but you are about two months along. I’m not sure about the gestation period for Istari but the Elf half of this child should grow for almost twelve months.” Lorrin said quietly and I began to believe.

“Is it then . . . my fault?” Perri said with a hitch in his voice.

“You contributed the other half of this child, my friend.” Lorrin spoke kindly to my young lover and I took his hand in mine to anchor myself in this strange new world in which I found myself. “There is no fault in this creation.”

“Gandalf, do you . . . do you wish to carry . . . it?” Perri was so pale that he looked like all the blood had left his body.

And for a moment, I wished to tear it from my body and rid myself of the responsibility. The Old Ones had asked much of the Istari and I’d given them all of my life. Now that the world was calm and mostly at peace, I’d thought that my life might be, too. Surely they would not ask this of me?

Perri’s blue eyes were wide and almost frightened, while slowly a single tear slid down his downy cheek. I thought of what his child would look and sound like. If there was any justice in the world this child would look like him and not me. Sweet Havens, I was thinking as if I would indeed carry this baby to term.

Did I really have a choice? Looking down at Narya, I saw it glowing softly and I sighed. “I have no idea how long an Istari gestates so we’ll just have to find out together.”

“Gandalf!” Perri bit his lip and I brought his hand to my lips for a kiss. “You must not do this if you’d rather not. I don’t want your life endangered.”

“I love you, my young Elf. By whatever magic, we have combined our seed into new life.” I almost smiled. “Would I prefer you to carry this . . . child? Yes, I’d enjoy pampering you through a pregnancy like Gimli did for Legolas. Instead, you’re going to have to put up with my foul temper and constant demands.”

His smile started small and grew into incandescent joy. “Beloved Gandalf, you are the sweetest tempered person that I know.” And he flung himself into my arms, while I hugged him close.

Gimli snorted and I cast a disdainful look his way but it was spoiled by Legolas’ delighted laughter. “True, Perri, Gandalf was always the kindest, most endearing wizard of our acquaintance. I shall appoint myself his adviser in this pregnancy and Gimli shall give you advice on pampering. He is very good at it, but then so is Papa so you will have the benefit of both their advice.”

Suddenly something that Lorrin had said earlier came back to me. “Lorrin, you think that all the rings have decided to take a hand, as it were, in the affairs of their wearers?”

He shrugged and sat on the hearth by a smiling Gloin. “I have wondered. The circle of young mages born to Legolas, Frodo and Pippin are one such grouping. If another circle was needed to counter the threat of the dark menace, the Elven rings of power could easily take this step. Miriel is also pregnant although it may only be days rather than months. I won’t know until I examine her. Salurr is also with child and perhaps this circle will have one of the race of Men within it.”

“Goodness,” I said faintly and leaned into my love’s embrace. “This will take some getting used to.”

“He hasn’t been getting sick, Lorrin.” Perri told the elder Elf while stroking my hair back from my face. “Quite the opposite in fact, he’s eating everything in sight.”

“I have a naturally healthy appetite, Perri.” I said indignantly and drew back a little.

He smiled at me and ran a gentle hand down my cheek. “Yes, you do, my love. But some of your combinations have been a trifle . . . odd, lately.”

“Pickles in honey, Gandalf?” Gimli said with a grimace.

And suddenly I had a craving for that delicious treat. “Yes, the combination of sweet and tart is so very good. I wonder if Jallico has any dills left?”

The others broke into laughter while Perri kissed me sweetly. When he finished, he said solemnly, “I shall see at once, my love. But for the moment, I think that Lorrin has some things to tell us and he should probably examine you more closely, too.”

Legolas stood and pulled Gimli up with him. “We shall go and instantly investigate the state of dill pickles in Friendly.” Moving swiftly, he hugged me close and whispered in my ear. “We will talk soon and I will listen to whatever you need to say.” Then he straightened and smiled at Perri. “Dear friend, this journey will be an interesting one. May we all survive it.”

They left still laughing and Gloin went with them. Lorrin stood and smiled down at us. “You’ll be more comfortable in your own bed, Gandalf, while I examine you and the child. Shall we?”

Perri pulled me to my feet and I followed him into our bedroom, girding myself up to be poked and prodded. Perhaps I’d wake up shortly and discover this was only a dream?


	4. Chapter 4

Elrond  
************** 

I finished my second grouse and wondered what my cook was using for spices this time. I’d never tasted anything so delicious in my long life, but she’d only sent me up two and I was still hungry so my eyes roved over the dishes set between Glorfindel and me. The pears looked good so I speared one and slid it onto my plate.

“El, are you feeling all right?” 

I looked up to give him a curious look. “I feel fine, ‘Del, just fine, but hungry. Have you ever tasted anything better than these grouse?”

“Yes, they were quite good, although you ate most of mine.” He smiled at me and I realized that I had indeed finished off what should have been his.

“Oops! I’ll make it up to you later.” I slid off my shoe and ran my toes up his leg to tickle his inner thigh. “Are you going to eat those olives?”

“Haven forbid,” he snickered and pushed the bowl of the dark green fruit over to me. His hand caught my foot and sensuously rubbed it with his clever fingers.

I heated up in a heartbeat and not even the chocolate torte could tempt me to stay at dinner when I thought I could get those stroking hands elsewhere. “We can take the torte with us, ‘Del. I think there’s something I need to show you in my study.”

He laughed out loud and let my foot go so I could surreptitiously get my shoe back on. Then with a flourish, he picked up our dessert and motioned me out the door ahead of him. We smiled at those of our people who we met in the halls. I must have had a rather purposeful look in my eye for none of them attempted to actually talk to either of us.

Good, I thought with a sigh. I needed his cock and I needed it now. For some reason, I felt rather wanton these days. And since Glorfindel liked me wanton, we’d been rather keeping to our rooms. Opening the mallorn door to our suite, I let him go in first so he could find a place to put the torte. Of course, that way I got to ogle his delightful body from behind. He’s all long legs with a tight, hard body that I adored.

Closing the door behind me, I started undressing immediately. Now that my stomach hunger was appeased, I had another appetite going begging. He laughed when he saw me throw my robe aside. But more importantly, he set the torte well back on the table and began to strip down to skin, beautiful golden skin that always felt like satin sliding over me. My hands were trembling, I needed him so badly.

“My sweet lord of the forest, your hunger is apparent even after two grouse and six other dishes.” He was naked already and I felt almost faint at the sight of his rampant shaft.

“This heart hunger can only be satisfied by the special delicacy I see before me.” I slid my pants off and crossed into his arms, his heated flesh branding me with his love.

This kiss was already desperate and I felt that ache inside of me that could only be appeased by his possession. “Del, oh Del, fuck me, fuck me, fuck me.”

“Dearest El, I have every intention of sliding so deep inside of you that I reach your heart.” He stroked down my back, trailing his fingers down my cleft and teasing the small hole that needed him the most. “I like this sudden wantonness, my love. Whatever winter madness has claimed you, our lovemaking has never been more intense.”

I wiggled, trying to get his fingers in me since it sounded like he wanted to talk instead of fuck. “Del, I love you but if you don’t get this,” I slid my hand around his shaft and watched his eyes go sultry, “inside of me in the next two minutes, I will personally make sure that you have to spend the next week in the outer reaches of Rivendell.”

“Haven forfend, beloved.” He kissed me sweetly then pushed me back onto the table, crushing a couple of maps under my back. His tongue slid down my leg to the soft skin of my inner thigh while I shivered at the moist heat so close and yet so far from my shaft. “Now what did you have in mind?” His warm breath ghosted over my crown

“Love you, Del, now in me, right now.” I demanded fervently.

“Such impatience, my lord, but I think I’m beginning to get the idea.” He licked my tender skin and I shivered all over. But with a sudden surge, he slid deep inside of me where I needed him. We both sighed in relief. “Sweetheart, if you keep eating so much this little bump I can feel will get bigger.”

“Are you saying that I’m fat, Glorfindel?” I said with a frown.

“Never,” he tickled my sides until I had to laugh. “Besides I enjoy helping you work it all off.” He pulled out then thrust back in while my breath started to get faster. The burn was beginning to overtake my senses, the way it always did with my beautiful lover. I was taking deep breaths to keep from passing out when a final volley of thrusts broke my control and I came hard between us while he flooded my depths with his passion.

We kissed slowly while he slid from me and helped me from the table into his arms. Then from outside, I heard a shout that sounded like trouble.

**********   
Lorrin  
********** 

Cloud-walker set down gently on the wide patio close to Lord Elrond’s private chamber. We’d raised quite a sensation flying over this quiet refuge but no one had shot at us, which I considered all to the good. I slid off his back then helped Gloin down. It had taken most of the day to make the journey from Friendly to Rivendell and he’d relaxed his grip on me about three hours into the trip.

“Well, that was interesting.” He staggered a bit on the terrace tiles and I caught him close. “My thanks, Cloud-walker for the . . . uneventful flight. I need a beer.”

“Then you shall have what you need, friend Gloin.” A cheery voice came from the double doors that led into Lord Elrond’s study. Glorfindel was rather carelessly dressed and I had a premonition that we’d interrupted something personal. He came out slowly and Cloud turned his sinuous neck to peer down at the golden elf.

//This one is pretty.// He thought to me.

I kept my face straight with effort. //Yes, he is, Cloud. He’s also curious. Will you permit his touch?//

//Hm-m-m, yes.// He lowered his great head to the approaching elf. //Tell Gloin that it was a pleasure to fly with him. I shall have no more than two bruises from his tight grip.// Glorfindel held out his hand to the flaring nostrils and Cloud sniffed him gently. //He has been mating. Who is this one?//

Lord Elrond had appeared with wide eyes and looking even more hastily dressed than his lover. “Greetings, Lorrin and Gloin, who do we have here?”

“This is Cloud-walker, my lord. He bore us to Rivendell since speed was needed.” I bowed my head to him and came forward to stand beside Glorfindel.

The wind-drake sniffed hard before gently butting his head into Elrond’s chest. //His mate is with child, Old One. He smells good.// He almost purred the last and Elrond instinctively scratched the itchy spot between his golden eyes.

I’d already confirmed that for myself. “My lord, we bring news that affects you. Could we go inside for a private talk? Cloud-walker will fly beyond your borders to feed then come back here to this terrace. If your people could be told not to fear him?”

“Yes, of course, it’s not my sons is it?” He looked anxiously at me.

I grimaced at my hasty choice of words. “No, my lord, they are well and happy. Miriel carries their children easily.”

“I’m going to be a grandfather again?” His eyes lit up and Glorfindel hugged him close. “But that is wonderful news! Del, would you go reassure the others about Cloud-walker and have the kitchen send up something to eat. Our guests are probably starving.”

“And beer also,” Glorfindel smiled at Gloin who grinned back at him, “don’t tell everything until I get back.”

//It is all right to hunt, my friend. Return here when you’re finished for a nap. We won’t be returning for two days.// I thought to him and got his approval before he sniffed Elrond again and then pulled back. “Gentlemen, he’ll need a bit of room so why don’t we go into the study?”

Once we were safely inside, he unfurled his blue wings and launched himself from the flagstones into the bright blue sky. Elrond watched him with sparkling eyes and I knew that he’d want to know more about the drake but the warmth of the room had almost sent me to my knees and Gloin was in no better condition. The dark lord realized that something was wrong and he helped me to a chair near the fire while my lover dropped onto the soft rug nearest the bright flames.

“Great Havens, you’re both like ice.” His worried tones seemed to come from far away but when I opened my eyes, he was just at the door calling out orders to someone. Blankets, hot food and our suite prepared was just what we needed. Then a cup of wine appeared beneath my nose and Elrond held it for me while the mulled wine burned a path to my stomach.

When I came back to myself, Glorfindel was there helping Gloin to drink and his sparkling eyes reassured me of his condition. I began telling Elrond of his sons’ wife and her pregnancy while he glowed before my eyes. He was in good condition and I checked to see how far along he was. Just about two and a half months, the same as Gandalf, I mused while answering his questions about the rest of his extended family.

Gloin had drawings of all the children and their parents to share with the two elves and they marveled at how big the sons and daughters of Friendly were growing. I decided to rest before giving them the rest of the news. I needed to recharge myself with Gloin’s help in the privacy of our room before informing the dark lord of his pregnancy. I wanted nourishment and Gloin in that order.

The elves bringing in the platters of hot, steaming food were welcomed with ravenous smiles. Gloin and I rather attacked the food presented to us and I watched surreptitiously while Elrond ate a little bit of everything on the table. He wasn’t selecting strange combinations like our wizard but he was obviously enjoying every morsel. I’d probably have to put him on a strict regimen of healthy food before his fifth month.

Our meal almost put us to sleep right there at the table and our hosts guided us to the suite next door to them rather than the one in the guest quarters. That was nice, I thought while they stripped us bare before sliding us into the soft bed where I curled up with Gloin. We’d be close enough to talk when ever we woke up. Then I was out like a light.

***********   
Gloin  
*********** 

I awoke to the wonderful sensation of Lorrin nibbling my shaft, his silky hair tickling my thighs and stomach. “My love, is there something you’d like?”

The warm tongue bathed my crown and I shivered. “My morning wake-up drink would be nice, beloved.” He sucked gently and I tingled everywhere. “Of course, I’m not sure if I wouldn’t rather have this,” he stroked my cock and raised an eyebrow, “deep inside of me. What is your preference?”

“Deep,” I managed to husk out before drawing him up to meet my lips. Every kiss with him is different, playful one moment, biting the next. This one was just hungry and I scoured every last bit of him from his warm mouth. Then he was pulling away and sitting carefully onto my cock while I moaned at the feel of his tight sheath.

Our movements were slow and strong until we both gave forth our seed to the other. All too soon I was slipping from him but my stomach was growling and I needed to relieve myself so we got up from our cozy nest and made for the bathing room. Lorrin ran the bath while I gargled with the elven cleanser that I’d become so fond of. It tasted of wintergreen berries and Lorrin made it up for all of Friendly.

I sank into the hot water with a sigh of relief. I didn’t even remember how we got undressed the day before. Our flight had been exhilarating and frightening at the same time. Lorrin probably had bruises from my holding so tight to him. But I had declared that I would be damned if I let him go alone. Cloud-walker had been a revelation to me and I could see why we’d had to go up the mountain before he came to us.

Frodo had told stories of the ice drake the Nazgul had ridden and shivered with fear of the memory. The drake family appearance was similar although each one had different color wings. The wind-drakes also had deep blue feathers on their heads and the ends of their azure wings. Still, they were rather frightening when you were standing next to one.

Warm hands massaging my feet brought me back to the here and now. Lorrin was smiling at me and I felt my heart beat quicken the way it always did when we were together like this. Never would I grow used to seeing his beautiful lavender eyes glowing with love for me. “I love you, Lorrin.”

He blushed a little. “I love you also, Gloin. I am glad that you agreed to come with me. I fear our news will be a shock to Elrond.”

“Yes, it will be but we’ll get him through it.” I lathered the soap in my hands. “Come here, my elf and let me return the favor.”

He chuckled and let me wash him from head to toe then he returned the favor and we got out to dress for the day. Our saddlebags had been unpacked and our clothes hung up carefully. After dressing, we knocked on the study door and Glorfindel welcomed us in. Breakfast was delicious and it was good to see Elrond tucking into every dish like it might be his last.

Between the four of us, we practically licked the platters clean. Our conversation had been general news of Middle-earth up until then. Once we’d regrouped around the fire, Lorrin took a deep breath and I knew he was going to tell them. I had a bet with Gimli that Elrond would faint.

“Elrond, I have some good news for you and Glorfindel.” He had their complete attention. “About two or three moons ago, did Vilya glow for a while?”

The dark lord raised an elegant eyebrow and nodded. “Yes, it did. Galadriel said that Nenya did so at about the same time. Did Narya also?”

“Yes, it did. I must tell you that the three rings decided on a single course of action at that time. Although it may be a shock, I came to tell you that . . . you are with child.”

The silence was as charged as a lightning storm. Then Glorfindel pitched forward and I barely caught him before he went head first onto the silky rug. Elrond was frozen in place with his mouth gaping open. He spared a glance for his fainting lover then blinked and shook himself all over. “Pregnant? You must be joking.”

“I fear not. You are about two and a half moons along, just like Gandalf and I expect, Galadriel.” Lorrin was standing by his side, rubbing his hand while I lightly slapped Glorfindel’s cheeks to bring him out of his faint. His eyes shot open and went directly to his lover. He sat up and laid a shaking hand on Elrond’s knee.

As if that was what the dark lord needed, he smiled shakily down at him. The golden elf surged up from the floor and gathered him into his arms. “We are going to have a child, El. I never thought to have any sons or daughters except for a small share in yours.”

A muffled voice came from his shoulder. “You deserve better.”

Glorfindel’s smile was brighter than the sunshine outside. “I deserve you, my dearest love. And I will help all I can while you carry this child to birth.”

“We need to talk about that, Elrond and Glorfindel. Your pregnancy and that of Gandalf’s could be rather difficult because of your age and gender.” Lorrin sat back down beside me and I hugged him close while he laid out the next few months agenda. It was going to be interesting.

By the time we’d talked out all the options available to them, it had been decided that they would come to us within the month. Lorrin had examined the dark lord and pronounced him healthy and fit enough to travel. They called in Erestor, the chief steward, to make plans for taking care of Rivendell but he was the only one with whom they shared their glad news.

It was still too new for them. He was shocked of course but he seemed to take it in stride and he committed the staff to getting them ready for the trip. Elrond was excited about the Varyan scrolls they were translating in Friendly’s library and Glorfindel watched him enthuse with the most loving look I’d yet seen between them. He couldn’t quit touching him and I smiled at them both.

This loving pair would be good parents to their daughter. I amused myself by trying to decide if she’d be dark like Queen Arwen or bright like the elf lord before me. Lunch came and went while they made lists of what to bring with them. The weather would play a big part in their journey and the disappearances that had slowed but continued this winter.

Lorrin offered to fly Cloud-walker overhead once they’d crossed the bridge on the Hoarwell River. Glorfindel accepted immediately with the provision that at least ten archers accompanied them on the trip. Elrond chided him gently and his lover told him firmly that he would take no chances with him. It looked like loving was eminent so we excused ourselves for an afternoon nap.

The next few months were going to be very, very interesting.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam  
*********** 

Merry and I set the last door of the bathroom cabinet into place and made sure that it swung properly. There was a bit of a squeak so I oiled the hinges and carefully wiped away the drop of oil that got away. That was better and we stopped for a moment to look around the last guestroom. It would be nice for Men or Elves. We’d taken to calling it the Rose Room since there were hundreds of roses carved in wood and stone and fabric everywhere you looked.

There was a little glass room built into the window on the south side and I had coaxed a couple of miniature rose bushes to grow there. Come May, there’d be some nice scents and little blossoms to make the room pretty. We were going to let Lord Elrond pick which room he wanted and I was hoping that he’d pick this one. If he was going to be going through what my Frodo had gone through, he’d need something beautiful to take his mind off it.

He should be coming soon, I thought and looked around to see if everything was done. Merry was doing the same and I eyed him a little to see how he was feeling. He and Pip had been real quiet since we’d found out that Bluebird was blind. The only time they smiled was when one of the other children was with them. Frodo told me that it would take some time for them to get over feeling guilty.

Frodo had sighed and told me that he understood guilt since he had felt really guilty about loving me. I had hugged him so hard that he gasped and complained but with a smile since he knew what I thought about that. After we put the babies to sleep in their new little beds built real close to the floor, we’d gone to our own bed and made love for hours.

“I’m fine, Sam.” Merry’s smile was dim but brighter than I’d seen it in months. “It took a while to understand why Blue . . . why her blindness had to be. Lorrin explained that there was a good chance that one of the new babies will also have a sense missing. It wasn’t just that we were first cousins.”

I didn’t know anything to say that wouldn’t come out wrong. While I was searching for the right words, he kept on talking.

“She’s such a sweetheart and we love her so much that sometimes I want to yell and scream that it’s not fair that she can’t see us . . . that she’ll never see us.”

“I can understand that, Merry.” I decided to say something that I’d wanted to for some time. “She’s beautiful, your little Blue is. And she’s got Pippin’s laugh right down to that little chirp at the end of it. But she’s got your eye for texture, Merry. Have you noticed when she’s holding something that her hands skim over it first, then real slowly she’ll rub it between her baby fingers until she’s felt it all?”

He looked at me kind of taken aback-like. “She’s always fingering things.”

“See, she can’t see it but she can touch it and I expect that her fingers are more sensitive than the other babies. Remember what happened when she dipped her thumb into the bowl of pudding that Pip was eating while holding her?” We’d laughed when we were watching her. “That was something real new and she just had to get her whole hand into it. Then she sniffed it and tasted it and laughed and laughed and laughed.”

He chuckled a little. “And while she was laughing, she was painting Pip’s nose with it.” 

I could see him thinking hard while we packed up our tools and made sure the bathing room was clean and tidy. With no towels and such, it still looked kind of empty but Salurr had woven a real pretty basket from golden reeds by the river to hold soaps and things and it was sitting on top of the sink encircled with some red and green ribbons in fancy shapes that looked just like roses.

It would be fun to see it when someone was actually living here. Even if Lord Elrond didn’t pick this one, maybe one of the Elves he brought with him would choose it. We left the guesthouse and walked home on the snow packed path that led to the dining hall. Pretty much all of the paths led there and I was hungry so we stopped to get a bite. Most everybody was done eating already but Pip was just putting out another loaf of fresh bread and he welcomed us with a smile.

And so did Bluebird from her sling across his front. She knew her daddy from his scent and he set his tool bag aside to hold her instead. Blue had a real strong grip on his hair while he tickled her and asked her how her day had been. And right then and there, she opened her mouth and said “Da, Da, Da.”

Pippin’s eyes got real big and so did Merry’s. “Say that again, Sweetheart.”

“Da, Da, Da, Da.” She sang it to him while he hugged her so tight she squealed in laughter. Pippin was hugging them both and the baby turned her head just far enough to kiss his cheek. “Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma.”

“Now, she’s a smart one and that’s for sure. None of ours started making sense until they were six months or so.” I congratulated them both then I got my lunch and went to sit at our usual table. They’d be over in a bit once they got used to her talking. Well, she’d been talking but nothing sensible had been coming out, just like our two. 

Elanor and Bilbo had turned one year old the month before and while I was buttering my bread, I thought about the birthday party we’d had here in the dining hall. Gandalf had some sparklers that we put in the top of their cake and when we lit them, they fizzed all blue and red. We’d given out little gifts to everyone from mittens to herbs that I’d dried over the winter. Pippin, Jallico and Suzana had made a wonderful feast for us all. It was a great evening and we’d sat and listened to Legolas and Perri sing about our settling Friendly.

Now in two days, it would be Pharin and Glimmer’s birthday and I was pretty sure that we were going to have some of that wonderful raspberry chocolate torte that Legolas liked so much. Friendly had taken real well to our Hobbit custom of giving gifts so Gimli and Legolas had told us all that they were going to do the same. That would be fun and if the day was nice then maybe we could even have a picnic outside.

I finished eating and left Merry feeding some of his custard to Bluebird while Pip looked on with a smile. Finally, it felt like they were ready to join in with the rest of us. Outside, I took a deep breath and decided to go see if Frodo wanted to quit work early. He and Legolas were in the library, busy writing away with the small pen under the table where the babies played.

Legolas was singing something Elvish while my bonded hummed along. His hair was getting longer and the dark curls tumbled onto the soft cotton of his blue shirt. I liked looking at him when he didn’t know I was there. Well, I’d always watched him, hadn’t I? Even when I should have been minding my gardening, I just couldn’t help myself. He’s so beautiful and I loved him so much that I couldn’t hardly catch my breath some days.

“Da!” Little Bilbo had caught sight of me and waved his hand at me. That brought Frodo’s eyes up from his parchment and that special smile that’s mine alone blossomed.

“You’re done with the guesthouse, Sam?” His eyes crinkled up with his smile.

“All done, although Gimli and Legolas should probably take a run through all the rooms to make sure that we haven’t forgotten anything. You about finished for the day?” I asked hopefully.

He chuckled and quirked that graceful eyebrow of his at Legolas. “Are we at a stopping spot? I’m almost done with this scroll.”

The golden elf smiled. “I think Sam has a good idea. I’m almost done with mine, also.” He pushed back from the table and opened the little gate on the pen to let the children crawl out. “Little ones, should we go find your father?”

“Fin’ Da.” Glimmer was the first one out and Legolas hugged him close. Then Bilbo was out and walking unsteadily to where I was waiting. 

He smelled of baby powder and mashed carrots and I held him close while he gave me baby smooches all over my cheeks. He and his sister were such blessings that sometimes I just had to catch my breath. Looking up, I saw my Frodo holding Elanor and I got to my feet to join him. Leaning over, I kissed him real soft-like while our children giggled at our goings on. Then we set off for home while I hoped that they were ready for a nap. I wanted to cuddle Frodo close and make love to him until dinnertime. 

From his smile, I thought he’d like that, too.

*************  
Gimli  
************* 

The first I knew that my workday was ended was when I was hit from behind by a pair of small attackers. “Help, help, Balik, somebody’s got me.”

My friend chuckled from across the blocks of marble we were shaping and shook his head. “They’re too frightening for me, Gimli. I’m afraid that you’re on your own.”

“Da-da, silly,” Pharin giggled and I swept her up in my arms, growling in mock anger. Turning quickly, I scooped up Glimmer also while they shrieked and pulled my hair.

Legolas was leaning in the doorway of our stone shop, his blue eyes smiling at me with that little sultry look that told me work was over, it was time for play. “We are finished for the day, beloved. Will you join us for a bath and nap?”

Thinking quickly, I nodded. “The guesthouse is complete, I believe. These mantles can be finished another day. How about it, little ones, are you up for a dip in the hot water?”

Glimmer nodded vigorously while Pharin smacked a kiss onto my cheek. “Baf, Da-da, hot baf.”

I snickered at her attempt at the word ‘bath’. Their vocabulary was growing by leaps and bounds but sometimes it still sounded like a foreign language to me. Legolas always seemed to know what they meant but he spent more time with them than I got to. But I had my chance now so I was going to take it. Glimmer was humming in my left ear while Pharin was back to chewing on my hair again.

There was something missing in her diet and I was going to have a talk with Rheanas about that when next I saw him. Walking along the path to our home, I asked my love what he’d been translating today. He told me of the star charts that had been rolled inside a scroll about telling the future. It appeared that the stars moved and changed position over time.

That was an interesting thought and I was going to ask him a question when the babies went still and silent. I looked down at them and found Pharin clutching a lock of my hair while her eyes went hooded. With a shock, I realized that I recognized that look, that gaze that Legolas had gotten right before he dispatched a pair of Uruk-kai on our journey.

It was all the more shocking because a silent growl was vibrating Glimmer’s small body. I searched for what might have frightened them but all I could see was Rhea and Basteal walking towards us in the same friendly conversation they’d been having since the Dwarf healer had arrived several weeks before.

“Greetings, Legolas and Gimli.” Rhea said genially and Basteal smiled at us. “Are you looking forward to the momentous occasion of your birthday, twins?”

Pharin nodded once but her smile was very small and when she put her head down on my shoulder, she closed her eyes as if she was just too tired to talk. Glimmer mimicked her on my other shoulder and I decided to get us out of here before anything else odd happened.

“They’re so excited that they’ve been going strong all day and now need a nap to rest up for the festivities.” I cuddled them close and wondered at the chill breeze that suddenly swept around us.

“We look forward to seeing you later for dinner.” Legolas smiled his bewitching smile at them but then put himself between us and them with such a smooth movement that I barely had time to twitch before we were past. “Good afternoon, my friends.”

I sped up just a bit, his hand on my back tense instead of loving. He kept pace with me and soon we were inside our home and I felt the tension leave all four of us. “Sweetheart, what in the Lady’s name was that?”

Pharin murmured ‘Da’ into my ear and Glimmer tried to strangle me with a too tight hug. Legolas slung his cloak onto the hooks ready for it then took Pharin from me to uncloak her while I took care of our son. When we were all settled before the fire, I gazed at my small family and felt a slight frisson of fear.

“Basteal has an aura about him that frightens the children.” Legolas sat cross-legged on the heart rug with Pharin cradled in his lap. “And if I must admit it, he feels . . . wrong to me. I don’t know why this is so but I feel on-guard when he is near.”

I looked into those blue eyes that had never lied to me and tried to understand what he was saying. “He asks many questions and sometimes they are very personal but I feel no sense of harm in them.”

“It’s not that, although some are ‘very’ personal and border on rudeness. Rhea asked some of the same questions and I didn’t mind them at the time.” He shrugged those broad shoulders with a little smile. “Well, at least I didn’t mind very much. But when he looks at the children, all of our children, there’s an almost palpable feeling of desire. A desire to unlock their secrets, experiment on them the way that the Dark Lord took Elves and twisted them into Orcs.”

I shivered and watched my love almost shudder with dread. So that old story was true, there was kinship between those two races. Looking down into my son’s big eyes, I felt a fierce desire to protect him from all harm. “Never, Glimmer, you need never fear such a thing ever happening to you. I vow this on my sacred honor.”

When I looked up, Legolas was blotting a tear on our daughter’s fair head while she murmured ‘Ma-ma’ to him. “I also pledge this on the trees that shelter us, Pharin. Nothing shall harm you while your father and I live.”

Were we making too much of this reaction of not yet one-year olds?

“I think it’s time we ask Papa and Lorrin to come down for another visit. We need allies in case our fears become a reality.” I said decisively and watched Legolas nod. “But for right now, I need a hot bath and a little nap before dinner. Who wants to join me?”

Pharin giggled and raised her hand while Glimmer mirrored her. Legolas chuckled and rose seemingly effortlessly before reaching down a hand to me. “It’s unanimous, beloved. The only question left is do we have bubbles or not?”

“Bub-bub-bub,” Glimmer chanted and Pharin joined in.

“Bubbles it is, then. But not the pink ones.” I mock glared at my bonded and our daughter only to get identical pouts from the two of them. “We’ll smell like strawberries!”

“We like strawberries, Gimli.” Legolas walked ahead gracefully while I watched his hips swaying just a little more than normal.

“Goo staw’is, Da-da.” Glimmer said with a little nod that I recognized as my father’s.

“Strawberry it is then. I’m outvoted again.” I pretended to sigh but our son saw right through me and laughed that sweet chortle that always made me smile.

A laughing glance over a silken shoulder made my skin heat up. “I’ll make it up to you, beloved Gimli. Anything you’d like for as long as you like this afternoon.”

I straightened up and smiled rather hawkishly. “I shall be thinking very hard of exactly what I’d like.” I pursed my lips and watched his eyes go sultry. “Perhaps a massage?”

His purr made Pharin laugh out loud and I sat Glimmer down so we could all get undressed for our bath. Even though our loving time was much less now that the twins were born, I begrudged the loss only occasionally. They were worth everything to us and I pushed the thought of trouble to the back of my mind for now. Nothing interfered with bath time in our household.

The steaming water and bright pink bubbles that frothed up the sides of the tub drew us all like magnets. The children were like small fish paddling this way and that once they were wet all over. Legolas and I took turns washing them until they were squeaky clean and it was time to wash each other. I loved sliding my hands over his pale skin and today was no exception. He was smooth everywhere and I soon had helpers rubbing soapy hands over him. 

He gasped and chuckled at the teasing touches, his eyes promising retribution once our children were asleep. But then it was my turn and three pairs of hands scrubbed me clean of the sweat of the day. Glimmer was yawning by the time we rinsed off and Pharin wasn’t far behind. We dried them well and carried them in to their bedroom and the new little beds that sat side by side. 

Merry had made them with the high sides that prevented them from falling out if they rolled too far. I tucked Pharin in and kissed her cheek while she yawned and said my name sleepily. Then just like that, she was out like a blown out lamp. I stood with a bit of a creak to my back and Legolas held out his hand to me to lead me to our own bed, right next door.

Once we were ensconced in our feather bed, he cuddled me close. “We’ll speak to Papa and Lorrin tomorrow. If there is a threat then I want it dealt with quickly and completely. I won’t risk any of Friendly to pain and suffering.”

“I agree, my love.” I brushed back his hair behind one delicately pointed ear and felt him shiver. “We will do what we do best – protect our families against all evil.” Drawing him down to my lips, I feasted on his tasty mouth for a long moment then slowly let him go. “I believe that I was promised a massage?”

He chuckled and raised up far enough to reach the oil that we kept by the bed. “I shall honor my promise the best way I know how. All your muscles will be seen to, beloved. I promise you that.”

And he was right.


	6. Chapter 6

Elrohir  
************** 

Miriel was still straightening our shelves when I scooped her up, stilling the busy hands and smothering her protests with my lips. Slowly, she began to relax into my arms and I carried her over to the rocker by the fire. Merry and Cincall had crafted it for us as a bonding gift and we found the rocking motion quite soothing.

“Our home looks fine, beloved. Father will not find fault when he visits, rather he will smile and settle upon our settee for a long talk.” I stroked her hair and felt her sigh against my throat.

“What if he hates me?” Her voice was so unsure that I felt my heart give an extra thump.

“He will love you, Miri, just as Elladan and I love you.” I kissed her silky hair and smiled. “He gave up long years ago on either of us finding a mate. And when he realized that it was our love for each other that kept us from settling, I think he truly put all thoughts of our bonding to another away. Was his letter not loving and welcoming?”

She sniffed and nodded. “It was so sweet when he thanked me for loving both of you. And when he wrote that he ‘finally’ had gotten you off his hands, I almost laughed. But now he’ll be really seeing me and what if he doesn’t like what he sees?”

I chuckled. “Father can present a very stern face when he needs to and after centuries of keeping the peace among our kin, he can be a little . . . autocratic. But part of that is simply his natural reserve. Elladan and I were of no help when it came to councils and diplomacy. He bore that burden alone save for Glorfindel’s support. My brother and I owe him our father’s sanity. His love kept Father grounded and sheltered just like you now do for us.”

Her head came up and those beautiful blue eyes looked into mine. “I love you both very, very much. Do you think he’s all right about our babies?”

“I expect he’s ecstatic.” I laughed. “He loves Eldarion, Arwen’s son, so I expect he’ll be over the moon when we tell him that we’re having twins. Haven Bless Lorrin for being able to see both of them and telling us about them.”

A distant horn brought both our heads up and Miri scrambled off my lap while hastily brushing her dress into order. Elladan burst through the front door a moment later. “The sentry at the outer marker saw them coming.”

“Good, let’s go meet them.” I slung my cloak over my shoulders while my brother helped Miriel on with hers. They kissed tenderly for a moment and I smiled at how beautiful they were together. Then it was my turn and I tasted Elladan’s lips with the joy that had been ours for so long.

We all took courage in the love that we shared among us and then we hastened from our cottage to make our way to the guest hall. The last snow had melted away in the lengthening sunlight and everything looked muddy except for a few sprouting plants in the herb garden that Sam was tending so carefully. He seemed pleased with their growth and hopefully they meant that true spring was on its way.

The hobbits were just leaving their homes when we passed so we slowed our pace to theirs and caught up on the welcome news that Elanor was cutting another tooth. The little blond sprite grinned up at us, showing off her two front teeth and the little white scallop that was her third. I had a vision right then of our little girl smiling up at me and I felt my heart melt.

Perhaps I was not so cold of heart as I’d once imagined. We walked on in contented silence and found Legolas and Gimli with their twins already waiting at the guest hall. The fires were blazing in all of the rooms and the doors stood open to welcome our latest guests to Friendly. 

How very odd that it was our home now and Father would be the visitor. I looked around at the family and friends that had gathered together in this enchanted valley and thought it rivaled Rivendell for splendor. There was not so much built up as there but I liked that better. Here was room to think and walk and raise a family. There hadn’t been many children over the last century or so in my old home.

And we were definitely having a baby boom. Legolas had set us all three down and told us of Gandalf’s most unexpected pregnancy. Miriel had told us later that she had expected our eyes to pop out and bounce onto the silky blue rug. I expect she was right because all I could do for a long moment was open my mouth and breathe.

All because Narya had decided to get her wearer with child, I thought with a grin. It appeared that Miriel and Gandalf might be sharing a nursery. How very odd that was and how very worried Perri was for his lover. I’d never met the young Elf before he came riding in to join our family here in Friendly but he was a childhood friend of Legolas’ and that was good enough for me.

The two of them were sweet together and I liked the way he took care of the older wizard. The sound of horses brought me back to where we waited and I stepped outside to catch first sight of them. My breath caught when I saw Father in his leather riding gear, knee to knee with Glorfindel. “Father!”

***********  
Elrond  
*********** 

“Elrohir!” I swung down and into my son’s arms and almost burst into tears. I’d been having that silly urge to cry for almost a month now. His arms were hard around me and I hugged him close. “My dear son, how kind of you to greet me.”

“I’m not the only one, Father.” He let me go and turned to his brother and a beautiful little Elven girl who looked scared to death of me.

“This must be Miriel. My dear daughter, how very beautiful you are.” I gathered her into my arms and she burst into tears while strangling me with her arms. “There, there, Miriel, I love you already and I’ve just met you. I can see that you love my sons and they love you, so don’t you worry about a thing. We’re going to be friends in no time at all.”

“Th-thank you, Lord Elrond. I love them both so much.” She sniffed a bit and I handed over my handkerchief. 

“Absolutely not, child, I can’t possibly be ‘Lord Elrond’.” I wiped a tear from her soft cheek and smiled at her beautiful dark eyes. “I’m just Elrond or Father or whatever you would like to call me. Although, I hear that I’m going to be a grandfather again and I must admit that that title is almost my favorite.”

“Father,” she nodded with another smile and Elrohir cuddled her close while his brother hugged me tight.

“Elladan, you’re not to squeeze the stuffing out of me. The ride has already bounced me enough.” I returned his hug but suddenly the ground felt like it was moving and I must have trembled because he stepped back a bit.

“Father, you look like you need to sit down.” He said bluntly and I nodded while the blood all seemed to drain down to my boots. Then Glorfindel was there and he’d swept me up in his arms and carried me inside the warm guest hall. I must have blacked out for a moment because the next thing I knew, I was lying on a soft bed while my lover held a glass of cool water to my lips.

My sons watched us anxiously from the foot of the bed while their wife took my pulse. I tried to smile reassuringly at them but I really needed to just lie quiet for a while. Legolas, bless his heart, tiptoed in and told us that they were taking care of the six riders who’d journeyed with us and our horses. He winked at me so I knew that he was aware of my secret. 

Now we just had to tell the rest of my family.

**********   
Miriel  
********** 

Lord Elrond wasn’t at all the way I’d pictured him. The boys had told me stories about him, about his wife leaving for the Havens, about his battles in the First Age, all sorts of stories that had me shaking in my slippers. But they hadn’t told me that he had the softest dark eyes or that his hug would be so warm and welcoming. I loved him already and we’d just met.

I could tell that the trip had been wearing on him but there was something more. The tall blond Elf had been right there as if he’d known that Elrond would falter. I’d taken his pulse and it was too fast. Perhaps they hadn’t eaten for awhile and he was experiencing the lightheadedness that sometimes came from fasting, I thought and felt his pulse begin to slow. 

“I’m fine, just weary of travel and desirous of a nap.” He reassured us but I could see that his companion was worried. “Maybe a bit hungry, too, I don’t suppose there’s any fruit to be found just yet?”

The little needy note made me smile. “I can recommend the apples of Friendly. And there is a feast being prepared for dinner so we can promise to feed you well shortly.”

“Oh good, apples are just fine. Glorfindel, quit fussing. I’m all right.” He said a bit crossly and the tall Elf chuckled and leaned in to kiss him quiet.

Once that had been accomplished, Lord Glorfindel looked at me then at the boys. “Your father and I have something to tell you all.”

El’ and ‘Dan sat on the foot of the bed and nodded at him. I found Elrond grasping my hand tightly and I held it in both of mine, wishing I could send calm to him through my touch.

“There’s no easy way to say this so,” he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Elrond is pregnant with my child.”

Silence. The fire snapped and crackled on the hearth but that was it. It was like we were all holding our breaths until something had to give.

“Father?” El’ and ‘Dan spoke in unison and I had to giggle at the shocked sound. “Miri?”

“Congratulations, Father and Glorfindel. It looks like you and I will be going through this whole wonderful . . . beautiful experience together.”

Elrond was crying and it was my turn to wipe his cheeks with his handkerchief. I felt like a true mother at that moment and realized that one day soon, I’d be doing this for my son and daughter. Glorfindel hugged his lover close but his eyes stayed on my bondeds, who hadn’t said another word.

“Was it Vilya?” Elrohir asked quietly.

Glorfindel nodded. “It appears that all three rings decided to give their wearers a child. It’s a girl.”

“A little sister?” Elladan finally smiled. “I hope she has Del’s hair. This family could use another blonde.”

“All right, this is very, very strange but then I guess I should expect that. Did you know that Miriel’s carrying twins?” Elrohir rubbed his cheek slowly then reached down to pull of his father’s left boot while ‘Dan pulled off his right.

“Really? Another set of twins would be wonderful, Miriel. Bless you.” Elrond beamed up at me and I leaned down to kiss his cheek.

“Lorrin says that our son is Elladan’s child and our daughter is Elrohir’s. How nice of you to give her an aunt their own age.” I teased him a little and Glorfindel chuckled. He really did have the most beautiful smile.

The boys were covering their father up with one of Tilly’s soft blankets and I tucked in one side while Glorfindel tucked in the other. His voice was soft against his lover’s temple and I sighed at how beautiful they looked together. “Rest now, beloved. I’ll find you something to eat while you take a little nap.”

Elrond’s eyes were already closed and I slipped off the bed after tucking his hand back under the rose colored quilt. Elrohir gathered me into his arms for a hug while Elladan motioned Glorfindel to come with us to the outer room. Once there, they both hugged him with soft congratulations and quiet questions about how Elrond was really feeling. The golden Elf answered all their questions then returned to his lover with a kiss to my cheek and his own welcome to the family.

I had so many questions that I didn’t know where to start. I would be tracking Lorrin down soon but for right now, I needed to take my husbands back to our cottage and seduce them. Finding out that my father-in-law was going to have a child had made me begin to burn deep inside where only they could put out the fire. Something in my glance must have given them a clue because they rushed the explanations to the others of our extended family and almost pulled me out the door.

The small babies inside of me made me feel heavier in front but they hadn’t quenched my urge for lovemaking at all. In fact, being pregnant seem to have increased my need for both of them. And when I could take no more, I would lie back and watch them make love to each other. I had to be the luckiest Elf in Middle-earth to have two such beautiful lovers who loved me, too.

Once inside our little home, Elrohir swept me up in his arms while I laughed out loud. Elladan took all our cloaks and soon joined us on the big bed where our clothes flew every which way until we were gloriously naked and sliding against each other. That always felt so good that it took us a moment to find our way into our favorite position.

‘Dan scooted up behind me while El’ slid his arms around us both from in front of me. His lips are always so sweet when they nibble on mine while his brother licked my shoulder and tongued my earlobe. My hands were busy stroking over El’s chest and his surprisingly sensitive nipples.

But then I couldn’t talk because mine had grown so amazingly sensitive that sometimes I came with just a gentle suckling from one or both of them. El slipped inside of me so quickly that I moaned and rocked forward to seat him more fully. That was what I needed. Even better would be ‘Dan . . . oh there, his hands were just right, sliding up my sides to cup my breasts.

“Miri-love, we’re so glad that you’re ours.” He whispered in my ear while his brother drove me right out of my little mind.

“Yes, I’m . . . glad . . . I am, too.” I had to use my breath for moaning then while El’ and ‘Dan kissed around me. This was going to be oh, so good.

**********   
Elrond  
********** 

Del cuddled me close, his hands stretched over my stomach where our child was growing while I stretched and opened my eyes. Looking around the room, I saw roses everywhere. Woven into the quilt covering me, carved up the four posters of the bed, growing on the windowsill, they covered the room like a garden grown amuck. I smiled and wondered if Sam had anything to do with it. 

“You’re feeling better.” Glorfindel kissed the back of my neck and I turned to face him.

“Finally,” I leaned in and feasted gently on his mouth. My stomach growled between us and he chuckled, pulling away to brush a curl behind my ear.

“You frightened me a little, beloved. Please don’t keep me in the dark when you’re not feeling well. I’m here to take care of you.” His blue eyes were so beautiful that they stole my breath away. “If you feel up to it, I’ll go and find some of those apples that you thought sounded so good.”

“Not enough, Del, I’m starving.” I sat up and stretched again. “Miriel is a pretty little thing, isn’t she? I liked the way she took the news. Do you think the boys are all right with their new sister?” I slid off the bed and made sure that the dizziness had gone away. Lorrin had said that my body would slowly find a new balance while the child pushed my internal organs around so she had room to grow.

He chuckled and joined me, threading his fingers through my hair while I purred for him. “They seemed fine. We’ll talk more after dinner. Their news surprised me though. She carries twins and they already know there’s one of each. Lorrin is an amazing healer. We need more like him now that Middle-earth is experiencing a rebirth.”

I caught the pun and stuck my tongue out at him. He caught it and nibbled until we were kissing anew. I’ve kissed him for centuries and each one still seems better than the one before. But my stomach growled again and I pulled away apologetically while he laughed at me.

“Dinner now, beloved. Let’s go and find the others after you wash away the trip. Gloin said that they have abundant hot water so let’s find some so we can go fill your empty stomach.” He patted my waist. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, we’re going to feed you soon so your father can ravish your mother in this nice new bed.”

It was my turn to chuckle. That was something new, Del talking to our child. But I liked it and she did, too. I could hardly wait until she first moved although Lorrin had said it would be another two months or so before she developed enough. The aches and pains were nothing compared to the joy of seeing her grow.

I could hardly wait.


	7. Chapter 7

Perri  
******** 

I lay propped up on one elbow and watched him napping, all the pains of this most surprising pregnancy wiped from his brow. I loved him so much that it was a physical ache in my heart. Why hadn’t Narya chosen me to carry our child? I would have borne him proudly and it wouldn’t have been as hard on my body as it was on his. The baby was beginning to show now although only to me. 

His heavy robes had done an excellent job of hiding our secret but with warmer weather approaching, I was scheming how to get him into something lighter in weight. He’s an imposing figure when he’s wearing his dress robes but a simple tunic and breeches were all he wore when we were alone in our snug little home.

Gloin and Lorrin had formally gifted their house over to us since they wished to stay within the mountain. I hadn’t had a home since my parents left for the Havens and I moved into the king’s guard barracks. My wizard had never really had a place to call his own since he had pretty much spent the last three millennia moving from one end of Middle-earth to the other.

I’d catch him every so often stroking the arm of the great chair he sat in by the fire or a carving on the mantel of the fire place in our bedroom. Neither of us had many possessions but over the last few months, we’d traded for a trinket or two. The Romany traders had been through several times and I’d bartered a quiver of arrows that I’d made for a hand blown glass bowl in deepest cobalt blue.

Gandalf’s eyes had lit up when he saw it and it now sat on our dining room table where the afternoon light made it glow like blue fire. Once I’d gifted it to him over the Yule, he chuckled and made me a present of two matching glass goblets in the same color and material. His fireworks were highly praised in the world outside of Friendly and he’d traded more for several bolts of blue silk and green cotton.

He said the blue was the color of my eyes and Tilly was currently sewing us up a set of matching tunics and robes. The cotton graced our table with matching napkins and slowly but surely our home was beginning to reflect our tastes. My lyre in its leather case sat next to the pipes that my love had acquired some time in the First Age. Sometimes at night, we’d play simple duets.

I could hardly wait to play for our child. But that thought brought to mind something that Legolas had said this morning and something else I’d witnessed.

“Sweetheart, you’re watching me again.” His husky murmur did something severely damaging to my heart.

“I like watching you sleep.” Leaning over a few inches, I kissed his sleep-warmed lips. He’d been snacking again and I tasted the tart winter apple with the ever present mustard. I was beginning to get used to it.

He chuckled when I pulled away just a little and those wise eyes found mine. “I have to admit that I enjoy the reverse so I shall not chastise you. You’re plotting something though, I can see it here.”

His finger smoothed out a little wrinkle between my eyes while I smiled and bit it when he reached my lips. “I’m not sure that I’m plotting exactly. Just thinking about something that I saw today when I went to see Legolas in the archives.”

“What did you see, beloved?” He grasped my hand where it lay on his chest.

“The Dwarf healer, Basteal was visiting them when I arrived and it was like walking into one of the deep caves. There were smiles and conversation but the children were all silent. Now, when are all of them quiet except when they’re sleeping?” I was troubled by the feelings that bombarded me when I walked into the archive.

Suddenly the wrinkle was between his eyes. “Something rather like that happened last week. Rhea told me that his old friend had changed. He appeared vaguely troubled by that thought but then dismissed it as age.”

I wanted to shiver but kept that urge to myself. I wouldn’t allow anything to hurt or trouble him, not if it were within my power to protect him. “I think that we should talk to Legolas and Gimli. Nothing that might harm the babies can be allowed to go further. I’ll ask them over tonight after dinner.”

He nodded and pressed a kiss into my palm. “Good thinking, beloved. But for the moment could you perhaps make love to me for a little pre-dinner appetizer?”

The flirty look on his craggy face was so sweet that I grinned and pushed the blankets off us both. “I think that’s a very good idea, Gandalf. If your bodily appetites are sated then perhaps there’s a chance for some of the others to partake of Pippin’s vinaigrette salad?”

“Are you saying that I’m greedy? Perri Bluefeather, take that back.” His eyes flashed and he tried to look stern but that was a lost cause once I began to touch him.

“Never greedy, my sweet Gandalf, just a touch hungry. You have a healthy appetite and our son does, too.” I tenderly kissed each of his sensitive nipples and his big hands slid over my back in a long sweep that warmed me from my shoulders down to my cheeks. “And my big appetite is for your tempting body,” I licked twice before dragging my tongue down to his sensitive navel and tickling him into laughter.

“No fair, my love,” he chuckled and squirmed a little while I kissed the skin that was beginning to stretch over our son.

“Go to sleep, little one, while I ravish your mother.” I whispered to him before continuing down to the plum colored shaft that was rising to greet me. Perhaps it was his odd eating habits since he got pregnant, but he tasted sweeter to me each time I sucked out his seed. 

“Dear Havens, my love, I adore your mouth.” He sighed and thrust his hips up a bit while I relaxed and took him in deeper. “Oh . . . there . . . ah-h-h.”

Fluttering my tongue against the underside of his shaft, I felt him shiver and moan my name. I loved making him lose the power of coherent speech. A steady rhythm usually brought me my favorite treat and today was no exception, a few more moments and he was bursting into my mouth. I swallowed around him while he shook beneath me, spurting slowly but surely until he was drained.

“You . . . are . . . entirely . . . too good . . . at . . . that.” He said, dragging air into his lungs with every word.

I chuckled around his softening flesh and felt him jerk. Tenderly, I slowed my withdrawal so I didn’t hurt his too-sensitive skin. He was silk on my tongue and I laved him with care until just the purple crown was left in my mouth. One more gentle suck and I had him all. His eyes glittered sky blue and he smiled the sultry smile that I’d only begun to see after he got pregnant.

“Ah-h, it’s quite nice to have such a . . . energetic lover, Perri.” That elegant eyebrow rose and one hand reached up to cup my face. “Now, I believe that one more thing would get me ready for dinner.” He then dropped the other to my cock and squeezed gently. “This . . . inside . . . of me now, beloved Perri.”

I caught my breath feeling like I’d been hard for hours. “Your wish is my command, beloved Gandalf. I think we may need to change positions though. I don’t want to squish our son between us.”

He nodded and rolled to his side, away from me. “Like this then, love, so he can stay asleep and you can love me into the sheets.”

Reaching for the oil we kept by the bed, I prepared him quickly. “Loving you is my reason for living these days, my love. Being connected to you is better than anything I’ve ever felt before.

***********   
Gandalf  
*********** 

He slid inside of me while I sighed happily. After so many centuries of abstinence, I finally could revel in taking and being taken. The fact that Narya had decreed that I should bear a child had come awfully quickly after my love-drought was quenched. Squeezing my inner muscles around him, I smiled at his groan.

I would not harden again so soon after my release but another part of me rejoiced in every thrust against that sweet spot that craved his touch. Truly, I was the luckiest wizard in Middle-earth to have such a beautiful and caring lover. I thought again about the two rings of mithril that Gloin was making for us. We would bond in front of our friends within the week and that thought warmed me almost more than his cock did.

An especially hard thrust started warming me and by the time he released deep within me, the heat had flooded my whole body. His little moan of repletion between my shoulder blades made me smile. I loved giving him pleasure and since I’d gotten pregnant, I craved his touch all the time. However, he was right about the Dwarf healer. There was something about him that just wasn’t right.

The thought that he might mean harm to the children of Friendly, born and yet unborn, filled me with anger and fear. My hand smoothed over the stretching skin where our son nestled, warm and safe. ‘Do not be afraid, little one, your papa and I will keep you safe.’ I sent him messages like that all the time now but this time, a little glow seemed to answer back, wordless but warming.

“Beloved, what was that?” Perri’s voice murmured while his hand joined mine in stroking our child. 

“I think the baby was letting us know that he’s warm and comfortable.” I said with a little catch in my voice. There really was another life within me, one that would one day stand on his own two feet and get into as much trouble as the other children of Friendly did.

“My wonderful, beautiful Gandalf,” he gently left my body even though I clenched around him with a pout. His chuckle and his hands turning me onto my back came simultaneously. “I am in awe of your power, beloved. Thank you for sharing that with me.”

“He shared it with both of us, although it might be because you were inside of me at the same time.” I pulled him down for a kiss and savored his spicy taste. But my stomach chose that moment to growl and he broke off our kiss with a peal of laughter.

“Then again, maybe he’s just hungry and that was his polite way of saying ‘feed me’.” He teased me and I stuck my tongue out at him before sitting up.

“Well, even if he isn’t, I most definitely am hungry. Pippin’s vinaigrette is calling my name.” 

We dressed in a contented silence while I donned the more concealing robes that I wore outside our home. Our home, those words still had the power to surprise me. After centuries of wandering, I had a home and a lover and one day soon, a son. We held hands while walking to the dining hall. The April light was soft and almost warm even this late in the day.

High-pitched giggles sounded from the path ahead of us and I watched with a fond smile while Frodo scooped up Elanor with a loud raspberry against her small cheek. Sam was holding Bilbo upside down while the little boy chortled uncontrollably. In my long years, I had been close to very few but one of them had been the wide-eyed Hobbit who’d hung on my every word for most of his life.

Frodo had been the child of my heart and watching him take on the burden of the one Ring had hurt deeply. I feared that the journey would take his life and the Ring would take his mind and heart. His savior had been the unassuming gardener, whose practical wisdom and great heart sheltered his master from all harm. He’d been a bit wary of me when I returned, no doubt thinking that I would interfere in their lives.

But I was grateful to him and soon he grew more comfortable. Since he learned of my pregnancy, he’d grown almost protective of me. For someone no higher than my waist, he had proven to be stronger than an Oliphant. The sturdy folk of the Shire were some of the brightest blessings of Middle-earth.

“Good evening, Gandalf.” Frodo smiled up at us and little Elanor raised her arms to me.

I took her into my arms and tickled her tummy while she giggled and pressed a sloppy kiss on my chin. “Good evening, Hobbits. I hope your day was a productive one?”

Perri had Bilbo in his arms now and was looking closely at a pretty rock that the tiny boy was showing him. Sam opened the door for us while Frodo excitedly spoke of a scroll they were translating. Once inside, we made for the table where we usually sat. Legolas was chasing little Glimmer around the buffet table while Gimli held Pharin who was looking on with the regal air that reminded me so much of her maternal grandfather.

Luckily, the look was all she’d inherited from the idiot who’d fathered Legolas. Her sweet nature came directly from the beautiful Elf who’d given birth to her. Elanor wanted to touch her best friend and Gimli accepted the little blonde from me with a chuckle. They immediately put their foreheads together while babbling nonstop for a few moments then falling silent with little nods.

It was eerily reminiscent of a meaningful conversation and I shivered just a bit. Both of the little girls immediately turned to me and smiled sweetly, blowing baby kisses to me. For just a moment, power haloed them with a shimmering gold aura and I returned their smile with one of my own. And deep inside of me, a little glow pulsed out a greeting to those who would someday be his playmates.

Pharin patted my belt carefully and Gimli chuckled again. “They are going to give us so much trouble when they get a little older.”

“They are indeed, beloved.” Legolas carried Glimmer under one arm and joined us.

“Dalf – Dalf,” the little boy crowed.

“Glimmer, you are certainly making sure that your mama has a good appetite.” I said mock-sternly and he giggled with an adoring look at the Elf who was cuddling him.

“My appetites are greatly sharpened, it is true.” Legolas cast a rather sultry look at his bonded who promptly blushed. “Now, if you’ll just hold my son,” he handed me the little boy who latched onto my hair immediately. “I will grab Pippin’s salad before you can take it all for yourself.”

It was terrible the way my smile turned to a pout in the space of a heartbeat. “Mean Legolas, that’s not very nice.”

“Not nice, mama,” Glimmer echoed and I’m pretty sure matched my pout.

“Well, it’s nice to know that you approve of my salad.” Pippin’s voice came from behind Legolas. “So, I expect it’s a good thing that I made two bowls for this table alone, isn’t it?”

“Bless you, Master Took, just set one down right here in front of me.” I hugged Glimmer closer and he squealed in my ear. “Just for that, young man, I’ll have to think twice about sharing with you.”

The little face became a tragedy mask in the blink of an eye. “Dalf?”

I truly was putty in his young hands. “Sweet Glimmer, I promise to share some. But we won’t leave any for your mama.”

He nodded before smiling sweetly at Legolas. “No for you, Mama.”

“Crushed, I’m crushed, sweetheart.” Those sorrowful blue eyes gazed into his son’s. “But Pippin made more so I guess it’s all right.”

Glimmer immediately launched himself from my arms to his mother’s, Legolas catching him with ease. “Me share, Mama.”

“That’s my good, big boy, Glimmer.” Legolas kissed his cheek and winked at me. “Since you’re ready to share your vinaigrette, I guess that I’ll have to share some of the chocolate cake that Jallico made for dessert.”

“Cake, cake, cake,” Glimmer and Pharin said with little squeals while Elanor and Bilbo chimed in.

“They are definitely our children.” Frodo chuckled and sat down, taking Bilbo from Perri’s arms and tying a bib around the little neck. “Chocolate is their middle name.”

I sat down while Perri chuckled and dropped a kiss on my hair before moving to the buffet table to get the rest of our food. The cheerful noise of a dozen conversations rose around us when suddenly all four children went silent. I looked up in time to see the smiling white-haired Basteal come in with Cincall and Salurr. For just a moment, I saw a shadow outline the Dwarf then it was gone.

And just as suddenly, I was afraid. My eyes met those of the small Elf in Gimli’s arms and the intelligence that sparkled in Pharin’s gaze made my heart skip a beat. I nodded to her and felt my resolve harden. 

We would discover the truth behind the healer. And we would protect our loved ones.

Wizard’s oath on it.


	8. Chapter 8

Gimli  
********** 

We gathered at Gandalf’s after dinner, the seven original Fellowship members, my father, Lorrin, Elrond and Glorfindel. All our children were there also. One by one we recounted what we’d seen or felt since the Dwarven healer has arrived. The children played with each other on the hearth rug at our feet until the conversation paused and little Pharin tugged on my leg, wanting up.

Once in my lap, she turned to the others gathered around on a variety of chairs and benches and looked solemnly at us. “There, not there.” She said gravely and I saw Glimmer and Bilbo nodding.

Lorrin leaned forward. “The healer is there but also not there, Pharin?”

“Dark ‘round him.” She struggled to put into her baby vocabulary, a concept that I wasn’t sure I’d be able to articulate.

“An aura of darkness and shadow outlines him.” Gandalf said pensively and my daughter nodded eagerly.

“Au-aura black.” She agreed with the wizard. “Cold and twinkly.”

Twinkly? I looked down into those eyes so much like Legolas’ and thought about what she was saying. Her little hand delved into my shirt and fished out the crystal that was never far from me. “Cold and twinkly.”

“Like a crystal glistens in the morning light?” I said softly and she nodded emphatically.

Lorrin looked devastated. “The shadow mage we fought in the First Age had a crystalline form in the last battle.”

My father put an arm around him. “It’s not necessarily the same creature.”

“Yes, is.” My little girl said emphatically to her grandpa.

A little keening sound came from my bonded and Glimmer toddled quickly to his mother. “Up, Mama.”

Legolas automatically picked him up and our son snuggled close, kissing the ashen cheek with his best sloppy baby kiss. My love blinked and cuddled him closer. “How do you know it’s the same, little one?”

“Mem-mies,” Bilbo’s little voice came from the silky green rug.

My forehead wrinkled but Sam translated for his son. “Memories, son, you’ve got memories of the before times?”

He nodded and walked to his father, holding up his arms. “Memmies in wind.”

“And fire, Mama,” Elanor was already in Frodo’s arms.

“Springs, too.” Pharin said solemnly.

“Rocks ‘ave long memmies.” Glimmer smiled at his sister who smiled back.

“I see,” Lorrin nodded slowly. “The earth speaks to you, Glimmer.”

My son nodded yes. I was making connections and ventured a question. “Pharin, does the water in Friendly speak to you?”

“Yes, Da-Da. Many, many ‘tories.” She giggled and tucked her head under my chin, holding tight to my tunic.

“Stories in the wind, Bilbo?” Frodo murmured. “Memories in the fires of Friendly, Elanor?”

They nodded with happy smiles and Lorrin spoke again. “Those are the elements to which each child is connected. Bluebird ties all of them together with her gift of spirit.”

Pippin clutched Blue to his chest and Merry wrapped his arms around them both. She murmured to them and they both relaxed a little. Merry cleared his throat and spoke up. “She said she loves us. If this healer is a . . . evil shadow from before, the children can’t fight him.”

“I don’t think he’s left over from before.” Elrond spoke slowly while he stroked the small bulge outlined by his robe. “I think this time the shadows crept in to look us over. Perhaps the fall of Sauron opened a door for them?”

Papa was stroking his short beard. “Or perhaps Sauron invited them in to help him win over Middle-earth, like advance scouts reporting back to their masters.”

I shivered. “One of them was destroyed by Gandalf. He was destroyed, right, Lorrin?”

“Yes, nothing remained.” The older Elf nodded while Perri hugged his beloved closer. “Gandalf used fire against him. I think this one will be warded against that element. One thing we did learn was that they communicated mind to mind. The first one we destroyed by smothering it.” He saw several puzzled looks, among them my own. “Air and wind are the same element. The second one took a combination of all four elements. It’s why we lost so many of my kin, it was ready for air, which we didn’t expect.”

I thought about that and shivered again, holding Pharin a little closer. “Can we use the elements instead, like Gandalf used fire?”

Lorrin sighed. “It takes years to grow such skill, probably centuries.”

Gandalf was frowning a bit, his hands copying Elrond’s strokes over his own stomach. “I can feel the power of each child like bright lights glowing in this room.” His eyes snapped back to here and now, sharing a look with each of us. “I think if we work with the children, we can weave a net to trap him.”

“That will not be enough, my friend.” Lorrin’s hands clutched each other in an almost wringing gesture. Papa laid his callused fingers over his, stilling them. Lavender eyes met black and Lorrin visibly calmed. “We need to destroy it so it can not bring more of its kind to Middle-earth. They are destructive to all living creatures.”

“Don’ like us, Da-Da.” Pharin said matter-of-factly. 

“T’inks we ‘tupid.” Glimmer added from my love’s lap. “We’ not.”

“Not we’re not, sweetheart,” Legolas hugged him closer. “We’ll work together to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone.” He had the adamantine look I’d seen before and in a dozen battles.

“Agreed,” Sam nodded. “Is he all shadow or is part of Basteal still inside of him?”

I blinked and looked at the small gardener. I hadn’t even thought of that. Baby hands clapped softly and we all looked at little Bluebird. She was nodding and smiling at us. Pharin translated for her from under my chin. “’ittle bit of Ba’ inside.”

Legolas nodded but didn’t lose the implacable look. “If there’s a way to separate them, we will. However, our first priority is to make sure it doesn’t hurt any of us.”

We all nodded and I stroked our daughter’s soft blond hair while she chewed on one of the leather ties of my shirt. In the back of my mind, I wondered if she was cutting another tooth. We talked for another hour until the children began to fuss a bit and we broke up to continue our bedtime routines.

All the while, I was praying that somehow we’d win through without involving them.

*********   
Sam  
********* 

Frodo was real quiet while we took our baths, washing the babies while they played with the bubbles we’d shaken into the hot water. He sang softly to them when we tucked them in, the Elven words flowing over us all, making me relax and sending them right to sleep. Arms around each other, we watched them sleep in the flickering light of the dying fire.

I wished I knew what he was thinking but those blue eyes were a bit far away. Quietly we left their room and went to our own with a little detour to the kitchen for our evening tea. Once we were in bed, I knew I’d be able to get him to talk to me. I was the practical one but he saw things that I couldn’t. Knowing the children’s elements was kind of interesting. 

It’s funny but knowing that Bilbo’s element was air made sense to me. He was the one who listened to words and tried them out over and over until he got them right. Elanor’s bright spirit and quick temper reminded me of fire so that wasn’t a surprise either. But their understanding our war council did kind of take me aback. They were too little to have to come to terms with battles and such.

“They’re so little, Sam,” Frodo clutched his tea cup. “I don’t want them anywhere near that creature.”

“Aye, they’re small to be so understanding of trouble.” I agreed and put my cup aside so I could cuddle him close. He came into my arms at once and I just stopped thinking for a moment so I could breathe him in and fill my hands with his warm flesh. Soft and smooth beneath my callused fingers, his skin shivered beneath my touch.

He murmured my name and I slid my lips over his cheek to his pouty lips. He tasted of tea and honey to my questing tongue. We kissed for a long moment then he moved a bit away, his blue eyes shining softly at me.

“I love you, my Sam. I’m afraid for them, so afraid that I can’t think straight. I want to wrap them up in silk and never let them near trouble.” He sighed. “But that won’t solve the problem of this creature of shadow. It’s funny but towards the end of our journey, I felt as if I was so stretched that I was growing dark around the edges.”

Taking his cup and placing it near mine, I slid us both under the warm blankets. Then holding his chin in my hand so I could look right into his eyes, I answered him. “We were both kind of stretched by the time we got to Mount Doom. But you were never evil. You were never even close to becoming a shadow, not while your old Sam was with you.”

“My own Sam,” his eyes shone with tears and his smile was a little wobbly but his hands held me close. “You were brave as an Oliphant and I always knew if we were going to win out, it would be because you were with me. I thank Elbereth for you every single day.”

I blushed a little. It still felt odd to be called brave. My old Dad would have just called it being practical. I had to kiss Frodo again and pretty soon, I had to touch him, too. His little whimper when I nursed at his nipples made me smile. He was still a little tender there although the babies were eating solids now. Once they started teething, we’d sort of moved them over pretty quick. He’d been real sore for a bit, especially when their uppers and lowers actually met.

My hands smoothed down his waist to his slender hips and the pretty shaft rising up from the dark curls at his groin. He chuckled and soon I had his hands on my chest, dropping down to my ever-ready cock and giving him a good squeeze. That felt great and we were soon teasing each other with all the touches that felt so good. We’d learned how to please each other over the last two years since we’d been in love.

The sunflower lotion that Rhea made up from an old recipe of the Varyans was kept right by the bed and Frodo poured some over my cock while I dipped some out to get him ready. He liked me to come inside of him mostly although now and then I’d slick him up and slide him inside of me instead. Either way, we were like one person when we were connected like this.

I loved him so much that I never wanted anything to ever harm him. I’d have taken more time to stretch him but he rolled me onto my back and sat down on me with one motion. He was tight and hot just like always and when he wiggled on me, I just about lost it. He grinned down at me and began raising and lowering himself while squeezing around me. I let him for a bit until I just had to thrust up while he was coming down.

Frodo made that little squeak that I love to hear. We made love for a long time although it’s never long enough when we’re together. But all good things come to an end and when he came all over my stomach, I came inside of him like a gusher. He slumped onto my chest and I hugged him close, my hands running over his sweaty back. We’d have to get cleaned up again but at least now he’d sleep.

Making love usually relaxed him enough so he’d sleep the night through without any of those old, bad dreams. He licked my skin a little but in another moment, he was out like a candle. I shifted him slowly off of me so I could get up and get a clean cloth. He curled up into my pillow while I smile down at his tousled curls. He didn’t look any older than little Bilbo when his beautiful face was all scrunched up like that.

I slid out of bed and got the bowl of heated water from the hearth. Cleaning us both up, I was soon back in bed, cuddling him as close as I could get him. My last thought before falling asleep was how we would protect each other and our babies from all harm. We’d figure out something to take care of this shadow thing. Somehow we’d protect all of Friendly.

**********   
Basteal  
********** 

The peoples of Middle-earth had changed since we’d first come to this reality. Sauron had invited us in but after the last fiasco, the Dynast had authorized only two of us to reconnoiter this fair land. The minerals beneath the surface of this world were varied and abundant. Once the creatures were gone, it would be easy to strip mine everything out for our use.

My disguise was perfect. I’d come across the traveler and once I’d learned that he was headed for this valley, I’d waylaid him and assumed his form. He’d resisted a bit but I was slowly ingesting him, soon there’d be nothing left but his image. My brother shadow had disappeared on his way to this place and all I’d had was a picture of flame before contact with him was lost.

These inferior creatures were nothing compared to us and yet the last time we’d come, our advance shadows had been destroyed by the inhabitants. These primitive, barely above subhuman creatures, could never be a match for our race. A natural cataclysm might perhaps explain it or a release of the tremendous energies that I could sense in the very fabric of this valley.

Some of the creatures had that same feeling when I came near them. The children were negligible quantities but their parental units might be the source of the strange energies I could sense. I’d spoken with most of the inhabitants here but I kept coming back to the original settlers, those that they called the Fellowship.

It was time to test them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus recipe at the end!

Elrond  
********** 

I stretched, pushing back from the octagonal table and felt the baby shift within me. She delighted in kicking my stomach and rolling on my bladder. I had a new appreciation for what my wife had gone through carrying our children. I was awed by her calm ability to handle twins, which sweet Miriel was echoing in her own pregnancy. Not even battles could have prepared me for this feeling of being so out of control.

My body was no longer just mine. Our daughter shared it with me and that intimacy was hard to adjust to. Being pregnant had me thinking new thoughts, feeling new emotions and reacting to the world differently. The rest of the community still didn’t know that Gandalf and I were pregnant. We’d asked Rhea to keep it a secret even from his wife so that the dwarf healer wouldn’t know either.

If Basteal was still in there we’d do what we could for him but the shadow creature would be dealt with should he try anything. All my protective instincts were engaged and I watched him without seeming to when ever he was near. My beloved ‘Del now wore two knives, one in his left boot and one in a sheath under his right sleeve. He was never far from me and as the days passed, I became more and more grateful for that.

“El’ . . . El’,” Pharin’s voice brought me from my reverie and I spotted her running across the room to me. She was light as a feather in my arms and her baby kisses reminded me of my little Arwen.

Glorfindel had scooped up Glimmer, blowing a raspberry on his round cheek while the little boy giggled uncontrollably. Legolas chuckled and sat down across the table from me, picking out an apple from the ever-filled bowl of fruit and biting into it.

“We’ve come to take you both for a walk down to one of our favorite spots. Pharin likes the river and both spas.” His blue eyes twinkled and he winked at us. “Actually, I’ll give you directions to the private spa once you’ve given birth.”

Pharin patted my stomach. “Fala like, too.”

I looked down into those beautiful blue eyes. “So Faladel already has a nickname, little one?”

She nodded vigorously. “Se’il like water, too.”

‘Del caught that reference. “Is she a water sprite like you, sweet Pharin?”

She giggled. “Yes.”

For some reason, that made our daughter even more real. I swallowed hard and pushed the feeling aside for the moment. I’d already gotten teary over ‘Del brushing my hair this morning and I was determined not to give in again. But Pharin patted my cheek then bent down to murmur something to our hidden child. And for just a moment, something I can only call a ‘spark’ fluttered to my heart.

We were on our way to the river before I got complete control again. Legolas had winked at me and I knew we’d be talking later. Thank Elbereth that I wasn’t going through this confusing time alone. Pharin was chattering to her mother while Glimmer was telling Glorfindel something very important and I walked to one side, taking deep breaths of the spring air.

My cloak concealed my burgeoning stomach and the breeze was still a bit brisk so it felt comfortable, too. I breathed in the early scents of snow drops and elanor that poked out from the grassy verge just off the path we trod. Running water sounded louder the closer we got to the river bank. Legolas led us down a narrow path through trees newly budded, the soft green-yellow of new leaves creating a haze of beautiful color over us.

The scent of water came to my nostrils and I hurried to the natural cove revealed at the end of the path. The water sparkled in little white caps beneath the brisk breeze. I knelt and let it flow over my hands in quiet enjoyment. Pharin joined me, her tiny hands cupping it up then letting it fall in a miniature spray while she laughed joyfully. Truly, we were much a like this little one and I.

From within I felt my child spark again and I smiled, wishing that Glorfindel could feel her, too. Looking over at Legolas sitting on the bank with Glimmer between his legs, I saw the little boy digging happily in the golden sand. Just beyond them, I found my lover wandering a little way along the bank, which grew steeper the further from the small cove he got.

Below my feet I felt a slight trembling. Standing, I took a quick glance in all directions to see what might be causing it. Gimli hadn’t said anything about blasting in the mines.

“No,” Glimmer’s voice was suddenly deeper.

“No,” Pharin sounded like her mother.

“Loves?” Legolas asked questioningly.

“Mama, move.” Glimmer was standing and holding onto Legolas who stood up with him at once. 

Not even hesitating, I swept Pharin up in my arms and called out to Glorfindel. When I looked back to the river, I froze in sudden fear. A huge wave of water was racing down towards us, growing larger with every foot traversed. It already towered over the trees we’d just strolled through and I found myself chanting the calming spell that worked on the Ford of Rivendell.

But this was not my river and although the wave began to lessen in height, it still moved towards us. While I started backing away from the river, Glorfindel joined me and we chanted together the charms that normally controlled the waters of Rivendell. Legolas moved with us, Glimmer clasped close to his breast while the ground began to tremble harder beneath our feet.

“Good river,” Pharin said sweetly and waved her hand at the giant wave.

“Calm,” Glimmer patted the air in front of him.

“Now,” they said in unison and we adults watched in awe while the water turned into a patter of rain drops all around us and the earth stopped shaking.

Power shone around them in a halo of golden light that sparkled like a summer sun. I felt it wash through me like a benediction and I kissed Pharin’s forehead reverently. She giggled and kissed me back, the same way she’d done before her display of elemental mastery. Looking at Legolas, I surprised tears in his eyes.

“My babies,” his whisper wouldn’t have been heard by any one farther away.

“Mama,” Glimmer patted his face. “Is aw’ight.”

“I know, sweetheart.” He pressed his lips again the downy head and squeezed his eyes shut to keep the tears from falling. “But you’re so young to have to take on such responsibility. We should be taking care of you instead of you taking care of us.”

“Love ‘ou, Mama.” Pharin leaned over and patted his shoulder.

I hugged my young friend and his remarkable son while Glorfindel stretched his arms around all of us. The enemy had made the first move but the children of Friendly had countered him neatly. But it was our turn to protect them by deflecting his attention away from the youngsters and squarely onto us.

“We need to go and explain what Glorfindel and I just did about the abnormal weather patterns.” I said calmly and watched my lover nod decisively. “We’d best get back now and start the story to making the rounds of the community. Pharin, Glimmer, please don’t say anything about your . . . abilities. The bad . . . creature needs to think we’re the ones who foiled his plan.”

**********   
Merry  
********** 

Bluebird licked the spoon I was holding while I wished it was dinner time. Pip’s knowing chuckle told me that we’d been caught tasting dessert again. I smiled at him and the baby murmured pea’, pea’, pea’ while she took hold of the spoon, running her little fingers over the carved silver.

“I hope you made lots because there’s going to be a mass rush once they taste your peachy apple crumble.” I kissed his cheek and Bluebird nodded her head vigorously before patting his chin.

Sometimes it was as if she could see - her aim was so good.

“It’s somebody’s nap time,” Pip plucked our daughter from my arms. His blue eyes sparkled into mine. “Maybe everybody’s nap time?”

I chuckled and hugged them both close. “Naps for everybody!”

Jallico waved us off and we left him still pulling fresh hot loaves of bread from the oven. The afternoon sun was warm and welcome after the gloomy days we’d just suffered. I watched Blue sniffing the air, a look of concentration on her small face. I stopped briefly and plucked a little white flower, then held it to her nose. She quivered like a bunny and ever so gently touched a finger to the blossom.

She was so curious about everything that sometimes our hearts were in our mouths while she investigated the world around her. But except for the occasional bruise or scrape, she lived a charmed life. She reminded me so much of Pip when he was a baby, cheerful and bright with a smile that was infectious. We walked in our front door and she sniffed once then clapped her hands.

“Mama, Mama,” she chanted, kissing Pip’s chin and patting his chest.

“Hungry, sweetheart?” My love nuzzled her hair while she nodded. “Dinner it is then, little love.” He sat down in the rocker and unbuttoned his shirt so she could suckle. 

I paused a moment, enjoying the sight of my dearest love nursing our daughter. “I’ll run a bath, Pip so we can clean up.”

He looked up and nodded. “I think I’ve got flour in unmentionable places.”

“I’ll be sure to find all of them and clean them carefully.” I winked at him and he chuckled. Bluebird paid no attention to our chatter, sucking hard at the plump nipple over his heart.

By the time the tub was full, I was undressed, throwing my dusty clothes in the hamper. I was building and carving cabinets pretty much full time now. Working on Man-sized doors was sometimes a bit awkward. I was learning little tricks like starting on the top while sitting on the uncarved portion then scooting my way backwards, carving as I went. 

Pip joined me without Bluebird. “She was asleep before she finished the second nipple.”

“Well, I’ll be glad to help you out.” I started unbuttoning the rest of his buttons.

“How kind of you, Merry.” He batted his eyes at me while pushing his pants down to the tiles. “Perhaps you’d like to wash my back?”

I leered just a bit and pushed off his shirt. He was his normal plump self again and I hugged him close. “I love you, Pip.”

“Love you too, my Merry,” he hugged me back before slipping out of my arms and into the tub. “You smell like wood shavings, sweetheart.” He plucked the soap from the basket on the edge of the tub. “Come here and let me wash you.”

Sliding in beside him, I ducked myself before coming up so he could soap me all over. I was willing to let him have first dibs because that meant that I’d have my turn shortly. His slippery hands slid slowly over my skin, dropping further and further until he could glove my cock with white foam. I was already pleasantly hard so when he kissed me, I just got harder.

Then it was my turn and I rubbed the lavender soap between my hands while he leaned against the sloping back, all open to my exploration. It doesn’t matter how often we did this, it was still wonderful to be able to touch him everywhere. My touch was gentle on his chest since his nipples were tender. I thought the extra fullness was beautiful but once Blue stopped breastfeeding, they’d probably go back flat.

But for now they rose through the foam like miniature peaks that made me lick my lips. I was suddenly impatient to taste what I’d just soaped so I hastily finished washing him down to his pretty toes. Rinsing him off, I went to my knees while his legs closed around my waist. I leaned in and kissed him softly, his hands combing through my hair while our tongues tangled together.

The peach crumble tasted even better from his mouth. But once we had to breathe, I kissed my way down his throat and over the soft skin to his right nipple. Sucking lightly, I drank down the sweet milk that spurted from him. He moaned that breathy little moan that always turned me to iron. Flicking my tongue back and forth over it, I settled in to drain what Bluebird had left.

“Oh, Merry . . . oh Merry . . . I wish that I could stay milky even after Blue is weaned.” He panted and wiggled over my cock, which was already sliding between his cheeks. “In me, now.”

I chuckled and very, very gently rolled the nipple between my teeth. He writhed while I palmed his cheeks apart and nudged his small hole. Chanting ‘now, now, now’, he gripped my shoulders and tried to impale himself on my cock. With a little thrust up, I breached his muscle and slid into the tightest, hottest place in Middle-earth. He sighed and those blue eyes opened to gaze into mine.

“I love you, Merry Brandybuck.”

“And I love you, Pippin Took. Maybe if I keep suckling even after Blue is finished, you’ll keep producing milk?” I stilled inside of him gently rocking my hips just enough to nudge that sweet spot that gave him such pleasure. 

He sighed and tightened around me. “I like it. You’ll always be my baby, love.”

I chuckled, “Yours, Pip, always and ever yours.”

“Mine,” he agreed. “Now move, sweetheart. Make me feel all of you.”

Settling in for the long strokes that pleased us both, I sought his other nipple and began to see if he might have a little milk left. I’d never get enough of him.

***********   
Bluebird  
*********** 

Mama and Papa were making love and I could hear the pretty music that always sang when they were together. There was all kinds of music in the world but their song was special because it included me. Happy and bright, it soared all around me.

But then there were harsh sounds that drowned out the valley song.

Hard notes that hurt my ears and made me feel bad.

Pharin’s voice sang over the harsh notes and Glimmer joined in so the bad song went away. Their mama sang sadly but bright El’ wove around them all and the new voice inside of him made it better.

The cold one was going to have to go away. His song was out of place.

Soon, we’d have to make him disappear.

**********************   
The end of chapter nine

 

But there’s a bonus part to this chapter. My wonderful Australian friend, Ian Quest sent me the recipe for peach crumble and it’s delicious. He said it was all right to share it with you all so here it is:

Peachy Apple Crumble

This dessert combines a tangy apple and peach filling with a sweet  
crumble topping. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients  
4 eating apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced  
4 peaches or nectarines, stoned and sliced (no need to peel)  
60 millilitres (1/4 cup) fresh orange juice  
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind

Topping  
200 grams crunchy oat biscuits, crushed  
90g (3/4 cup) plain flour  
1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice  
90g (1/3 cup) unsalted butter, diced or sliced  
90g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar  
Greek-style yoghurt, to serve

1). Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. In a mixing bowl, stir  
together the apples, peaches or nectarines, orange juice and lemon  
rind. Spoon the mixture into a l.25 litre oval pie dish or shallow  
baking dish.

2). For the crumble topping, mix together the biscuits, flour and  
spice in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips  
until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.

3). Spoon the topping mixture evenly over the fruit to cover it.

4). Bake for 35 minutes, or until the topping is crisp and golden.  
Allow to cool slightly before serving the crumble with Greek-style  
yoghurt.


	10. Chapter 10

Gimli  
*************** 

Legolas was so rigid he was like an iron bar. I knew something was seriously wrong when he started growling under his breath like he’d done years back during the War, the feral look in his eyes one that I hadn’t seen for long months. I stayed as close to him as I could and still be seen in public. He’d asked Nana and Pfister to take the children while Lord Elrond spoke to those of us who’d gathered in the dining hall. I’d seen the end of the bizarre wave but there was obviously more than met the eye.

The dark Elven Lord was modest about his mastery of the river but I could see that the others in the room were awed. I had an inkling of the truth so I tried very hard not to look at the dwarf healer. My love was practically vibrating at my side and I slipped one of his tightly clenched hands into mine so he had something to hold onto, although I was pretty sure that his grip was going to leave bruises.

“If it’s all right with you, Prince Legolas, I will take Glorfindel and investigate the source of the river to see if we can find a cause for this freak of nature.” Lord Elrond asked gravely.

My love started a bit and I frowned to keep from smiling. He hadn’t had much to do as the ruler of Friendly since our first months when we set about creating our community. But he was nodding now, his upbringing coming to the fore. “I think that an excellent idea, Elrond. I also think that you should take Gandalf with you in case there is some darker magic involved.”

Our wizard nodded. “I agree, Prince Legolas. We’ll start off first thing in the morning.”

“Good,” my love said with that princely air that made me want to bow to him or maybe lick him from head to toe. “If anyone knows or saw anything out of the ordinary, please come to me or to my bonded. I’m sure that we all want to keep our loved ones safe.”

The others nodded and in a few moments, the crowd had broken up and we’d all gone our separate ways. I strode at Legolas’ side while my father and Lorrin followed close behind us. My love was still trembling and his stride was almost a run. I was pretty sure that I wasn’t going to like what he had to tell me in the safety of our home.

I was right, I didn’t like it at all.

“So, Pharin tamed the river while Glimmer stopped the earth tremors.” Legolas finished and curled more closely around the children between us.

“Easy, Dada,” Glimmer patted my leather weskit and smiled at me while I dropped my eyes to his. “Earth didn’ wan’ be bad.”

What did I say to that? My little boy was growing up too fast, his powers taking him too far ahead of me. “Did . . . did it take energy away from you, Glimmer? Were you tired when you were done?”

He shook his head from side to side. “No, Dada, feels good. Earth likes me.”

Pharin tucked tightly into Legolas’ side, her tiny fingers stroking his beautiful long hair. “Water like flying.”

Lorrin nodded where he sat across from us, wrapped securely in my father’s arms. “Each element has its own exhilaration. Water was made to move in a way that earth was not. I believe that when the children . . . meshed with their chosen element, they were able to tap the great energies embodied within them. They have much to learn about what it was they did but for the moment, they did an almost perfect job of deflecting the creature’s attention.”

Papa’s deep voice was next. “It will probably try fire and wind next to see what happens. Unless it already knows that Gandalf used fire to destroy its kin?”

I found myself nodding. “Lorrin, you said something about mind speech between the creatures when you last met them.”

He shivered a little. “Yes, they spoke over vast distances but we deduced that it was of limited duration. It seemed to take great energy, the further they were apart.”

Pharin’s sweet voice piped into the silence. “He knows ‘bout fire and Dalf but no ‘bout us or the new ones.”

“New ones, sweetheart?” I asked her.

“Fala and baby Jer,” she said solemnly, “and the twins and Ceri, far away.”

Far away? I blinked and looked at my bonded in consternation.

“The Lady Galadriel’s child is a little boy?” Legolas finally smiled and chuckled when our daughter nodded. “You can hear him from across the many leagues between us?”

She nodded and giggled. “Ceri like Blue.”

I caught my love’s glance and immediately started drafting a letter for the beautiful queen of the Elves. Part of me still thought her the most beautiful woman of my acquaintance but not the most beautiful Elf. That person was cuddling the children he’d born me and sending a heated look my way.

Papa sighed and drew our attention. “I do not like that the creature chose a dwarf body to inhabit. We have so few of our brethren here that when the truth comes out, we stand a good chance of being ostracized.”

“That won’t happen, Papa.” My bonded said emphatically. “The earlier invasion chose Elves to embody, am I right, Lorrin?”

“True, my prince.” Lorrin sighed and rubbed his cheek. “We could save none of the poor healer it overtook, only a few fragments of bone that we burned to make sure none of the creature survived.”

“Another healer?” Papa asked him incredulously. 

“We are trained to help wounded creatures. It took advantage of that tendency on our part.” Lorrin smiled into his eyes.

I watched my father lose his train of thought completely at the heat in lavender eyes. When I looked back at Legolas, I found him gathering up a sleepy Pharin. Glimmer was sound asleep with one little hand holding onto me and the other curled against his lips, almost but not quite sucking his thumb.

“We’ll go home, sons and be back first thing in the morning.” Papa stood up and drew Lorrin up with him. They both kissed the babies before heading for the guesthouse where they were sleeping.

Carrying the children into their room, we undressed and tucked them under the warm green and blue quilts that Tilly had pieced together for them. For a moment, I just stood there, watching them stretch unconsciously before settling into their favorite positions. Glimmer’s head was almost under the pillow, his arms and legs every which way. Pharin was curled on her left side, one tiny hand under her pale cheek.

Legolas knelt between the beds and kissed first one, then the other before moving out of the way so I could have my turn. It was a ritual that never failed to amaze me when I looked down at these little bundles of energy that were the result of our love. I was truly blessed by the ancient Dwarven Gods. I breathed deeply of both of them and carried away the scent of sweet violet powder and soap.

My love reached for me when we left the room and tugged me to the bathroom. A nice hot bath would go a long way towards ending this day better than it had begun. Settling into the hot water, I grabbed the soap first so I could wash him with hands lathered and slightly purple. Somehow sweet violet had become our staple scent. Running my hands down one long leg, I realized that all his muscles were twisted into knots of tension.

His gaze was still a little unfocused and he felt like a miniature thunder cloud sitting there with his beautiful hair skewered in a knot on top of his head. He should have looked silly but all I could see was that kingly air that he can summon at a moment’s notice. When I began to stroke a particularly bad spot, he winced, his attention coming back to me in a rush.

“Can you talk about it yet, beloved?” I asked while gentling my strokes.

He tried to smile, truly he did but it was a sorry effort. “I fear for them, Gimli. This is something against which I can . . . not . . . fight.” He clenched his fists then painfully released his fingers so he could reach for me. I pulled him over me so I could hug him close. “Gimli, they’re just babies.”

“I know my own. They are growing so fast that I fear they are losing their childhood to this menace.” I kissed the little point of his ear and felt him shiver. “All we can do is hold them close, love them with all our hearts and guard their backs.”

The little snort from the area of my throat told me that he’d gotten my point. He uncurled just enough to gaze into my eyes. “I love you, Gimli son of Gloin. Do you think all parents go through such troubling thoughts?”

I smiled and raised a hand to trace the sad pout of his lips. “All parents fear for their children, Papa told me that long ago. We are however, unique in the history of Middle-earth so I’m not sure that all these fears can be compared to any other set of parents.”

He sighed then darted out a pink tongue to lick my finger. “You are very wise, my love. I will say only that I am very glad that we are together, sharing these fears with each other. And I will also admit that my muscles really . . . really hurt.”

Such a precious gift he gave me with those words and his rather sheepish look. My bonded will not usually admit to pain so I chuckled and urged him to take his place at the other end of the tub again. The hot water began to relax his over-strained muscles while I smoothed my way up those long legs of his to his right thigh, which had a tendency to cramp on him.

The little wrinkle between his eyes finally smoothed out while he floated half asleep. I finished soaping and rinsing both of us while his drowsy eyelids drooped, just a tinge of deep blue showing. Moving slowly between his legs, I slowly petted his flat stomach and thought about when he was swollen with our babes. Flat or rounded, I loved touching him . . . watching him . . . just loving him with all my heart and soul.

“Beloved, I think it’s time we went to bed so you can fuck me through the mattress.” He said sweetly, scissoring his legs around me to hold me in place.

And I had to laugh out loud before pulling him up into my arms for the first of very many kisses that I would gift him with this night.

********* Gloin ********* 

Lorrin and I lay beneath the star quilt that I’d brought with me over a year ago when I’d come to check out my son’s odd behavior. We were curled around each other the way we always slept but for some reason I just couldn’t let go of the day and the bizarre events that had overtaken us.

“I’m afraid, Gloin.” Lorrin’s soft voice came from the hollow at my throat. “I had thought to never have to face such evil again. The children are powerful beyond any circle that ever we raised in the First Age but they are untutored in the ways of magic.”

I stroked his dark silky hair in the soothing pattern that he liked best. “I know what you mean. I’ve never met it before but I felt the earth call out in pain. You said that it killed many of your . . . mages the last time. Yet, Gandalf took out one with only his own magic. Isn’t that a good sign?”

Soft lips kissed the tender skin usually hidden by my beard. “Yes and no, my love. Gandalf is Istari and practically fresh from his fight with the Balrog. Yet he was still trapped within the circle until we found him. None of us want to expose the little ones to such horror.”

“True,” I shivered just a bit at the thought of my little Pharin or Glimmer facing a monster. “But part of me wonders if they know more than we do at this point. As you pointed out, they are small but powerful. How did your talk with Sam and Frodo turn out?”

“Frodo is frightened speechless while Sam . . .” he raised his head and smiled down at me. “Sam is the most sensible Hobbit I believe ever came from the Shire. He’s scared for the children but he also sees their abilities. He got Frodo to finally smile before I left. He told him that neither of them were raising any turnips, thank you very much.”

I grinned, hearing Sam’s voice in my head. “True, we’re all raising them to love their family and the land that supports us. They may be young but they know just how much they are loved and protected.”

“Very, very true, Gloin,” he leaned in and kissed me ever so gently. I loved it when he nipped my lower lip before sliding inside with his tasty tongue. 

It appeared that we were through talking for the evening. It was time for reminding ourselves what we loved and were loved. My hands sifted through the dark strands of silk that fell like a curtain on either side of my face. If I live to three hundred, I will never get enough of his sweetness.

********* Basteal ********* 

The dark lord was powerful indeed. He’d cut the power that I’d nurtured into the giant wave like flipping a switch. It was on his lands that my fellow scout had disintegrated. Whether it was him or the golden one with him mattered little. Here was one who was a worthy adversary.

I would win, of course. He was weak with ties to others that dragged him down to earth-grubber status. He had little stamina and I’d noticed that he often slept late and napped early. How he’d ever functioned as a warrior, I could hardly fathom. In fact, the denizens of this world baffled me sometimes.

Take Prince Legolas for instance, he was a bowman of great renown and faster with his knives than any other I’d seen. Yet he had carried his young to term. No warrior of the Dynast would conceive of such weakness, let alone his continued care of the puling infants. But he did it freely.

Strange beings this world had, I stroked the dark beard of this body and fed a little more on the diminishing life force of the healer I’d caught. Another week or so and he’d be completely gone. If I wasn’t finished by then, I’d have to look around and find another to inhabit.

I got the impression sometimes that some of these creatures didn’t like dwarves much. Popping a river rock into my mouth, I dissolved it into a tasty treat. The minerals of this world were quite delicious. The sooner that I gathered enough information to destroy the populace, the sooner the Dynast could arrive to harvest this world.

One more test and I’d be ready to call them in.


	11. Chapter 11

********* Sam ********* 

I was worried about the children but more about Frodo. He was so tense that he was rigid. He’d watch them sleep for almost two hours before I could get him to leave them for our bed. I recognized the quiet despair that I’d hoped we’d left behind in Mordor. He came with me quietly but I could tell that he wasn’t really with me, if you catch my drift.

The fire in our room was dying but I quick tossed a couple of fresh logs on so we’d have some light and warmth. Poor Frodo was shivering as if he had the ague and I could see the shock taking hold right before my eyes. So I kissed him . . . kissed him good and hard until he knew it was me right enough.

“Frodo, my love,” I said once we had to breathe. “Nothing bad is going to happen to our babies. Pharin and Glimmer came out of it all right and so will our little Elanor and Bilbo if they get tested. Gandalf won’t let any harm come to any of us. We’ve got most of the Fellowship right here and there’s no shadow-thing going to win against the likes of us.”

Tears shimmered in those beautiful eyes of his but he tried to smile for me. It was pretty pale but it was better than nothing. “Dear Sam, I’m so glad that you love me.”

I chuckled and warmed his back with both hands. “I figure we’re both real lucky, my own Frodo. I love you so much that I just can’t get my mind around what you mean to me.”

“My own Samwise, I love you more every day and you gave me the most beautiful babies that I can hardly believe possible.” He leaned against me, tucking his head into my shoulder. “Why is there always something lying in wait for us?”

“Don’t know,” I shrugged and held him closer, wondering how I could get him stripped and into bed. “But challenges don’t come when you call them like Farmer Maggot’s dog does. I expect that’s some kind of universal law or something.”

His shoulders shook a little but before I could get concerned, he lifted a suddenly laughing face to me. “I haven’t thought about Farmer Maggot in years. Oh Sam, you are such a treasure. I do love you so much.”

I grinned in relief. “Then let’s go to bed so we can remember what it was like to make the twins a year ago.”

He chuckled and slowly let go. We were both still worried but it wasn’t the icy kind of fear that freezes you and makes you a target for the Dark. I helped him undress, making a kind of game of it and he lightened up a little more. Holding him under the nice blue and yellow quilt that had been my mother’s and that Dad had brought with him when he visited, I cuddled him real close and kissed him all over.

I’d been kind of afraid that my rough old hands would make his silky skin all red and scratched but he kept telling me that he loved every callus. And the Shire only knew how much I loved touching him. He’s like a flame that lights up my whole world and everybody else’s, too.

“Dearest Sam, make love to me tonight.” He held my face between his hands and gazed into my eyes with so much love, I wanted to cry. “Remind me that together we are stronger than anything.”

“We are, Frodo. I love you so much.” I smothered his face with kisses while he chuckled and handed me the oil that we keep by the bed. I got him ready real gentle-like and slid inside him slowly. He’s always so hot and tight that I just have to stop once I’m in and think about it.

“So good, Sam,” his legs were tight around my waist, “it always feels so good when you’re inside me. I can feel your heart beat in two places, one here,” his hand rested on my chest. “And deep inside of me, you’re beating there, too.” His inner muscles squeezed around me and I shivered, it felt so good. “Move, Sam, let me feel all of you.”

I leaned down to kiss him first, sliding my tongue alongside of his and tasting that sweetness that is his alone. Nobody tastes as good as my Frodo no matter what he’d been eating. Then I started moving, slow at first then gradually going faster until the whole bed was shaking with my thrusts. He took them all and kept encouraging me to go harder but I just couldn’t go no deeper, no matter how much he wanted me to.

He got that shining look in his eyes when he was real close and I got a good grip on his pretty cock, knowing what was coming. Then he gasped my name real quiet and exploded in my hand while I flooded him with all my seed. It had been a couple of days since we’d made love, what with all the visitors and garden work, so I had plenty to give him.

“Oh Sam, thank you,” he smiled up at me, his hands stroking my cheeks with the soft caresses that I liked so much. “That was exactly what I needed. I’m so very lucky that you love me.”

“I’m the lucky one, Frodo.” I kissed the tip of his nose when he wrinkled it at me. “You might have turned me away when I got so bold and above my station.”

“Pooh! Your station is right here, inside of me, Samwise Gamgee, and don’t you forget it.” His eyes got to flashing and I chuckled when he pulled both my ears.

********* Perri ********* 

I was worried sick at what my love might have to face on the morrow. He was puttering around our bedroom, stripping away his robes and stroking the small mound that was growing in front of him. I’d braided his hair back this morning and it still hung in a thick silver rope down his back. His posture was upright and I couldn’t help but smile at his broad shoulders tapering down to what had been a trim waist.

“I know, I know, beloved. I am getting fat.” He said ruefully and smiled at me.

“That is not what I was thinking, my dear Gandalf.” I rose from the hearth and crossed to hug him close. “Our child is growing so fast that I worry that this battle to come will harm you and him both.”

He stilled and said gruffly. “I would never do anything to harm our little boy, Perri.”

“I know you wouldn’t, beloved, but Basteal is a different matter.” I listened to the strong heart under my ear and shivered. “Whatever has him held fast means all of us harm.”

“True,” his big hands stroked my back. “But that test is for tomorrow, tonight is ours to prepare and what I need most is you, sweet Perri.”

Smiling into his chest, I licked a handy nipple into peaking for me. “Then you shall have me as often as you like.”

It was his turn to shiver and we slowly stripped each other bare before taking to our large bed. His back was aching a bit with the growth of our son so once he was on his side I gave him a warm oil massage to relax him. But all too soon he was demanding that I come inside of him and I was happy to oblige his craving, for it was my craving, too. We made love so frequently that I just slid inside slowly until I could go no farther.

Kissing across his warm skin to that hot spot just at the join of neck and shoulder, I licked him into a shudder. Chuckling, I waited for his body to tell me that he was ready for me to move. “Now, sweet Gandalf?”

“Yes,” he pushed back before picking up my right hand and beginning to lick each finger like it was a delicacy that he was determined to savor.

I set a slow pace, feeling the love and contentment that was ours. Little Jerdal had begun sparking to us a week ago and now every time we made love he sent us warm tingles. I accidentally bit my love one day when he’d squeezed around me and our son had sent what could only be a giggle into our minds. That was a happy memory to replace the fear that my Gandalf might meet with harm on the morrow.

“Do not worry, beloved.” He nestled a kiss into my palm. “I have a feeling that this creature has no idea what he is going up against. The power shining in the children of Friendly is truly astonishing. This fight is not going to be like the one I had with his counterpart. Like our amazing children, I think it will be unlike anything Middle-earth has ever seen.”

I thrust in a little harder and felt my shaft begin to burn. “You will come to no harm, Gandalf. I will protect you and Jer with all my heart and soul.”

“Oh there, Perri, right there,” he wiggled a little and dropped my hand down to his rock hard shaft. “I know you will, my love, the same way I will protect both of you.”

I released at almost the same moment he convulsed in my hand. We rocked together for a while until his body pushed me from my tight haven and I got up to bring back a warm wet cloth to clean us. He fell asleep almost instantly while I settled in to watch over him through the dark hours of the night.

The morning dawned bright and clear. I felt the sun rise over the horizon with a sense of resolve. No matter what, I would be with Gandalf. If it took my life to protect my bonded and our son, then that is what I would give. I stroked lovingly the small bulge that was the baby our love had created. Sending him my love and hope for a future, I received in return a small flame of love that warmed me from head to toe.

“He loves you very much, Perri, as his mother does.” The graveled tones of my bonded flowed over me like honey. “Neither of us wishes for anything to happen to you.”

I went very still but my mind-reading lover continued. “You are a warrior by training and inclination, much like your Prince. Knives and bows have a place in this battle but the main weapons will be the elements themselves. I will be most displeased if you allow yourself to get hurt.”

Damn. “I will not let anything happen to you, Gandalf. You carry our future inside of you and he is more important.”

“He is important, that’s true.” He pulled me closer and warm fingers raised my chin so I looked straight into the stormy blue eyes that so captivated me. “But so is his father and we need him to make our family complete. No heroics, please or I shall have to chastise you most severely.”

For some reason that warning made me tingle in places that should have been satiated. My gaze must have turned sultry because his warmed in a heartbeat. “I promise to guard your back and keep you both from harm. But right now, I think we must make love again to armor us against what comes.”

He chuckled but agreed, pulling me down to his lips and kissing me so sweetly that I almost forgot what was to come.  
********* Basteal ********* 

I burped and said excuse me to the dwarf named Balik. The cooks here were excellent and this body appreciated their efforts. True nourishment came from the minerals of this world but even I could occasionally enjoy some of this chocolate stuff that we had once a week. Carbon compounds were my mainstay and I remembered the tasty seam of coal I’d discovered and devoured early this morning.

It was time to make sure that the dark lord and old wizard couldn’t really take everything I could control. Walking towards the mountains that towered over the valley, I stopped near the cottage that the twin Elves and their mate lived in. A field of spring grasses was knee-high bordering the beds of herbs. Beasts of burden grazed in a nearby meadow and the stacks of hay would provide the tinder that I needed.

I told Balik that I would come a little later to the mountain. He grunted once and kept on walking over the stone bridge that crossed the river. Waiting until he’d gone far enough away to not notice anything, I dug deep into my true nature. Summoning the fire that was a part of each Dynast warrior, a gift from our red star, I planted ten sparks where they would do the most good.

Feeling the warmth begin to grow, I walked over the bridge to stand on a boulder to summon the wind. It wasn’t the clean crisp air of the higher elevations but it was adequate for my test. Fire needs air to grow and the beasts in the fields suddenly noticed the flames that were licking at their grasses. Snorting and whinnying, they tried to out run the danger but I’d placed the sparks carefully.

I’d noticed how foolish these creatures were about their beasts. This should bring them on the double to try and save them. I chuckled and steered the wind towards the flickering red flames. They raced through the grass finally out of control, the sound of crackling growing ever louder. I’ve always loved a good fire and this one looked to be a beauty.

A horn blew clear in the morning air and I shaded my eyes to see who was first on the scene. One of the small ones, the mate of the cook, was blowing on a silver horn that looked quite tasty from where I sat. I directed the wind from the north to goose one of the fires that were ‘this’ close to being uncontrollable even by me. I laughed at the antics of the puny creatures who were trying to save their beasts.

The elderly wizard suddenly appeared, calling out in a loud voice, “Shadowfax! Here to me.”

A large white beast wheeled away from a burning hay stack, followed by a smaller gray. The wizard gestured with his staff and a break appeared in the ring of fire. The beasts thundered through the gap and the others made to follow them but I veered the wind to cut them off, laughing at the look of dismay on the old man’s face. Others had joined him with paltry buckets of water.

They scurried around like the drones they were and I watched in satisfaction while they tried futilely to put out the fire. Long moments later and several more of the large beasts were saved even while the small creatures of the grasses died and the birds squawked in dismay at the loss of their nests.

“Bad Bast’l, not nice,” a chiding voice came from behind me.

I spun around to see the Princes of this place with their small ones clinging to the backs of two of their retainers. But the voice was the girl-child’s. I jumped off the stone and let go the boundaries that held me to this form, swelling to my natural shape. The adult’s eyes went wide but the children never even blinked. The Elf’s bow was aimed directly at me while his mate’s axe was held at the ready.

“Naughty, Bast’l,” her brother said and shook his tiny finger at me.

I laughed and pushed wind at them but it never arrived. The Halflings and their children had joined us and the brown haired Halfling boy threw out his hands and stopped it cold. I blinked then watched his blond sister point at the fire and say, “Stop.”

Casting a quick look at the fields, I saw the fires sputter out. It wasn’t the adults but the children of this place who were my adversaries. I snarled and gathered all the elements together to blast these small foes. Whirling fire arose in a funnel and headed for them while the earth trembled beneath their feet. Water rose from the river into cold air from the north and turned to stinging needles of sleet that cut and burned.

Arrows passed harmlessly through me while the axe wielding Dwarf charged me only to find himself flat on his back, his axe broken in two. His mate darted to stand between us, giving him time to scramble up. Others were joining the battle but I was full of energy and honed my weapons with soaring joy. This was the good part of being a member of the Dynast.

War and conquest followed by harvesting was why my people existed.

I felt a few blows from their puny weapons but they had nothing that could stop me.

********* Pharin ********* 

Basteal was strong. But he hurt Dada and was about to hurt Mama when I searched and found the water-part of him. I thought to Glimmer and he nodded when he got hold of the earth-part of the big warrior. 

********* Glimmer ********* 

I called to Bilbo and linked with him while he found the air-part and got ready to grab it. His sister called back that she had the fire-part and we waited for baby Blue to find the doorway to send him home. Her parents didn’t want her to be in danger but we needed her to open the door between our worlds.

********* Bluebird ********* 

Mama and Papa were scared for me but while they were saving the big horses, I floated onto Shadowfax’s back and urged him towards the cold music that was the bad warrior. He carried me there with a loud neigh and I heard Dalf call out to him but I needed him to get me across the river so he kept on going.

Papa blew the pretty horn again and I giggled at the sweet sound. It was much better than the cold clatter-chatter of the bad warrior. Shadowfax was a bright voice like the scent of one of Uncle Sam’s roses. The others greeted me with determination and I floated off of the horse so I could listen for the door that the cold warrior came through. It jangled like bad sounds just overhead and I reached out to grab it with all my strength.

‘Now,’ I called to them silently.

And just like that, they pulled each of his elements apart. He cried out with a big-big loudness that vibrated through the air like a blow. I put my hands over my ears and threw open the door to the cold space he called home. The others pushed their bits of him through the pulsing point of space and time while I said sternly, “Don’t come back, bad Dynast.”

Then I shut the door behind him with a kind of slam, the way that Mama always said not to do while the others sealed it shut with each of their elements. They wouldn’t be coming through to our world ever again through that doorway.

“Bluebird!” Mama was crying and I let myself float over to his beautiful music so he could hold me close. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”

“No, Mama, all gone.” I told her then turned my head to where the cold one had stood.

A cry soared through the air and I felt everyone turn to what we’d been able to save of the poor healer that the cold one had eaten. I smiled while Uncle Legolas picked him up and cradled him in his arms. “Gimli, it looks like we have another son.” 

Pharin clapped her hands. “Good Ba’, he be all right now.”

I listened hard but all the music of the valley was clean and warm again. That felt really, really good.


	12. Chapter 12

********* Gimli ********* 

One moment the shadow creature towered above us, all hard edges and glittering angles. He’d shattered my axe with nothing but a flick of darkness and my beloved’s arrows just sailed through him. I scrambled to my feet in time to see Legolas cut through the shadow with his knives but it was like the creature didn’t even feel the wounds. Then the great shape swelled even larger.

Only to give a cry that almost shattered my hearing and then disappeared.

Legolas whirled, searching for our foe as did I and the others who’d accompanied us. All the Hobbits were there and I saw the astonishing sight of little Bluebird floating in the air. I immediately looked to our children and caught the smuggest expressions that I have ever seen on their sweet faces.

A piercing cry from behind me had me turning back to the ripped and ruined clothing that I’d thought was all that was left of the Dwarven healer. Legolas knelt and lifted a small shape from the rags. The cries stilled when my bonded cradled the black haired baby against his chest.

“Gimli, it looks like we have another son.” He gazed down into the scrunched up face and finally smiled.

“Good Ba’, he be all right now,” Pharin said while clapping her hands from what we’d hoped would be the safety of Nanala’s arms.

“All dat was left, Mama.” Bilbo said from Frodo’s arms. “We twied to save all of him.”

“I’m sure you did, my sweetling.” Frodo’s blue eyes couldn’t have gotten any wider. “What just happened here? Where did the shadow warrior go?”

“Home, Mama, we sent him home.” Elanor said from Sam’s arms.

“Blue opened door an’ we sent him back.” Glimmer said quietly in Pfister’s arms. 

“Bluebird,” Pippin looked down at the baby in his arms and she smiled up at him.

“Aw’ gone, Mama. Baby Ba ony left.” The little one said with a shake of her curls.

Our children were even more amazing than I’d thought.

A little whimper came from Legolas’ arms and he patted the back of the naked child. I unwound my scarf and offered it to him but that did little to stop his whimpers. My golden lover rocked him gently. “I think he’s hungry. We need to stop by the dining hall to get some goat’s milk.”

Shouts from the other side of the river reminded us that we had more clean up to do. Crossing the bridge, we split up to take care of the horses and other wild life that had fled the conflagration. Rhea needed to be told what happened to his fellow healer if only so we could try to understand it ourselves. Lunch was a pick-up meal that lasted most of the afternoon as we each found the time to break away to eat.

The foundling didn’t approve of goat’s milk and Legolas tried a little bit of everything to sweeten it for him. He now wore one of the outfits that Glimmer had outgrown and Rhea had checked him over with Lorrin’s help. Ba’ was all dwarf and approximately three months old, just four months younger than Bluebird.

My love was at his wit’s end in the big kitchen where he sat to one side and tried to get the baby to drink more than a mouthful before he spit up. I gave him my report on the injured horses. Luckily Shadowfax and Arod had escaped completely. I brushed a finger across the pale cheek and thought that I saw a touch of the healer in his features.

“He’ll eat something eventually but I fear for him, Gimli. Pharin and Glimmer both tried to get him to drink the honey sweetened milk but so far, he refuses. Nana and Pfister took them home for now.” Blue eyes met mine with a note of despair in his voice.

“Legolas,” Pippin had finished making bread and he’d approached us with Blue clutched in his arms. He’d only let her go to a corner of the table where he could see her while he was cooking. “Blue has asked me to try something.”

“I’ll take any suggestions, Pippin.” My love said with a sigh.

Pip took a deep breath then held out Blue to me. “I’ll try nursing him.”

My love blinked then handed Ba’ to him and got up to give him the rocker. The Hobbit sat down and unbuttoned his shirt to expose his plump chest. He tickled the soft cheek before placing the rosebud mouth to his nipple. For a moment, Ba’ just licked at it then while I held my breath he took a tentative suck before settling in for a voracious feed.

I think we all finally let go and took deep breaths. Bluebird smiled and clapped her hands. “Tank’ou, Mama.”

“Well, since all of you have two babies, I guess this is our chance to give Bluebird a little brother.” Pippin cradled our unexpected new settler in his arms and gave him a small smile. “Merry and I decided that if this worked, we’d ask you to let us adopt him.”

I shot a quick look to my love but Legolas was already speaking. “If the Dwarves have no objection then I think that would be a wonderful solution to this dilemma, Gimli?”

“I think I can speak for the others, my love. None of the rest of us have the proper . . . equipment to take care of him.” I would have blushed but my short beard hid most of it, I hoped. “I welcome it if Merry and Pippin and Bluebird agree.”

Blue giggled and nodded vigorously. “Ba’ good.”

“You’ll be a wonderful big sister for him, Blue.” Legolas dropped a kiss on her auburn curls. “We’ll announce it at dinner tonight. Gimli, we need to prepare what we’ll say about this eventful day.”

Merry joined us then and he sighed a little when he saw Pippin nursing. “I see that it worked, Pip.”

“Papa!” Bluebird launched herself from my arms into her father’s, “Ba’ ours now.”

“You wanted to be a big sister, didn’t you, sweetheart?” Merry teased her but his eyes sought his bonded’s. But Pippin’s eyes were clear of any strain and his smile was bright.

They looked good together and I sighed at the happy family in front of me. We’d survived the attack, saved the healer – kind of and the damage was minimal. I thought another celebration was in order and I was pretty sure that my bonded would agree with me. Now that it was safe, the others needed to know about the new pregnancies that were growing among us.

This was going to be a really good party. I was going to roll the beer barrels down from the mountain myself. Papa would help.

********* Merry ********* 

We packed the dining hall to standing room only while Legolas told everyone what had happened. He downplayed the children’s role and instead gave the credit to Lorrin, Gandalf and Elrond. I know why he did it - we all wanted the little ones to have normal childhoods. Their abilities needed to be kept secret for now and we’d all agreed to that. I looked down into Blue’s eyes and thought about what she’d done.

Her blindness wasn’t the handicap that we’d thought it was. She had a power within her that made me wonder just what she thought about when she tilted her head and patted her cheek. Perhaps she saw more clearly without her eyes than any of us with ours. 

And maybe she heard my thoughts because while I was dithering, she looked right at me and smiled. “Papa, love ‘ou.”

“I love you too, Bluebird.” I hugged her closer and dropped a kiss on the curls so much like Pip’s.

Loud clapping brought my attention back to the crowd and I realized that everyone was looking at us. Legolas must have told them we were adopting Ba’. Pippin was blushing but the new baby just cooed at all the attention. Gandalf was talking about the sacrifice of the dwarf healer who’d given his life to destroy the last remnant of Sauron. Someone asked if part of him might be left in the baby.

I was afraid someone would ask about that. We couldn’t very well tell them that the babies said he was all that was left of the healer and all good now. So Gandalf invoked some magic and cast a spell on Ba’. For just a moment, he glowed golden. The magic must have tickled because he kicked his feet up into the air and giggled all over. I could feel the tension drain away, just like that.

Whew! I exchanged a look with Pip and caught the end of a smug look on our little Blue’s face. Now that she had a partner, I had the feeling that she was going to run us ragged. The whole floating thing was something we’d have to talk about soon. But not right now, now was for planning a celebration on the first sunny day. Gandalf had told us that all the magic released would affect the weather adversely for a few days.

That just gave us more time to plan. For now, though it was time for us to take our new son home. Pip and I walked slowly up the familiar path and let ourselves into the quiet front room. I hung up our cloaks while he settled into the rocker to nurse Bluebird. He’d tucked Ba’ into the cradle by the fire first and I sat down by it to get a good look at the little boy.

His dark hair was long for a 3 month old but his head had lost that newborn look and his fingers had nails that would need to be clipped soon. He was sucking on his thumb and I tickled his cheek to get him to stop. I rocked the cradle just a little and he yawned up at me.

“I wonder if he’ll grow faster than normal.” I said idly.

“Lorrin says no. Maybe the children will be able to tell us more about how they put the bits and pieces together of what was left of the healer.” Pippin smiled at me and started burping Blue. “Is he asleep yet? If not, he’s probably hungry.”

I checked and bright brown eyes blinked back at me. “I think he could eat.”

The loud burp that came from our daughter always made me laugh. For such a dainty little girl, she had a belch that you could hear two rooms away. I took her from Pip and carried her back to the nursery while my bonded picked up Ba’ and started feeding him. Undressing her was still fun even after all these months. She was growing up so fast that I just knew that I was going to miss having a baby to play with.

But now we had Ba’ so that would keep us busy a while longer. I tucked her into the cradle that she was soon going to outgrow. I’d already started making her bed like the ones I’d built for both sets of twins. Once that was done, she could move over and leave this cradle for her little brother. For now, I was planning to bring the parlor cradle into our room, in case Ba’ woke up confused or hungry.

“Is she asleep?” Pip whispered from the doorway with Ba’ in his arms and I nodded, tiptoeing out to the hall and shutting the door behind me.

“I’ll move the front cradle into our room.” I told him and he smiled before leaning over to kiss me. “Why don’t you run us a bath and we’ll all three clean up before bed?”

“Good idea, love. Do you need help moving the cradle?”

I looked affronted. “No, my dear Pip, I think I can manage one small piece of furniture.”

He chuckled and moved down the hall to the bathroom, throwing a sultry look over his shoulder, “My big strong hero.”

Sticking my tongue out at him, I headed for the front room. Actually, the cradle was solid oak and really heavy but I nudged it onto the hallway runner and dragged it easily into our room. Putting it near Pip’s side of the bed, I was already shedding my clothing when I put the rug back. Arriving in the bathroom, I saw Pip in the tub, holding the babe between his legs while gently soaping the tiny body.

I slipped in the other end and turned off the water so it wouldn’t get too full. Since Pip was busy, I reached for the soap and started washing his feet. He loves that and he was purring by the time he finished cleaning Ba’ and lifted him to the towel-lined basket waiting for him by the side of the tub. Then I had my arms full of wet Pip, my very favorite armful.

“Love you, Merry.” He nipped little kisses all over my face. “Thank you for coming up with a way for us to adopt him.”

“Sweetheart, once we saw him refusing every bit of milk, what else could we do? You’re the one who’s willing to share your milk with him. I think that’s very, very brave of you. You have the biggest heart in Middle-earth, my sweet Pippin.” I kissed every bit of skin that I could reach.

He stilled and tucked his head beneath my chin. “I can’t carry anymore babies since we don’t dare take the risk. But I’ve always wanted a houseful of children. Is that all right?”

“Oh, love, of course it’s all right.” I brought his chin up and saw the tears, which almost broke my heart. “There are babies all over Middle-earth that need good homes. We’ll write our parents and see if there are any Hobbit orphans who need a family. We’re going to have to write them anyway about Ba’.”

His dimple appeared and he kissed me hard. When we came up for air, he was grinning, the tears gone. “They’re going to be on their way for a visit before the messenger has a chance to break his fast. It will be nice to have them here again.”

“Maybe they’ll stay for a nice long visit?” I asked while running soapy hands over his back. He wiggled over my groin and I got hard almost immediately.

“Hm-m-m, that feels good, Merry.” His hands smoothed over my chest. “It’s a good thing that I was still nursing. Hopefully, I’ll keep on producing until it’s time to wean Ba’.”

My fingers slid over his downy cheeks and tickled his entrance while my teeth gently bit his ear lobe. “I love milky-Pip,” sliding my tongue down his throat to the hollow that always made him shiver. “I love cook-Pip, too.” A finger slid inside and searched for the hot spot that made him moan. “I love wanton-Pip the best though.”

“Oh-h-h, Merry, right there,” he panted, both hands on my shoulders and already rising just enough to get my cock where he wanted it. “Wanton-Pip wants you inside right this minute.”

So I spread his cheeks and thrust up while he was sitting down. I just had to open my eyes to watch the blissful look on his face when I was all the way inside. He smiled down at me before squeezing his inner muscles around me and pushing up so he could sit back down. We were going to take our time tonight because I had a premonition that baby Ba’ was going to be an early morning feeder.

********* Ba’ ********* 

Warm. Clean. 

Full tummy. Soft bed. 

Good sounds. 

Happy place.

Home.


	13. Chapter 13

********* Gandalf ********* 

I clenched around Perri while he thrust into me with all his might. There was none of the care that had lately graced our bed. No, this was need and desire paired with the end of a fear that had chilled us all. Two days ago the children of Friendly had shown just what they were capable of and saved us. I was humbled by their power but already I could see that my job for the next few decades was to teach those born and yet unborn.

“Beloved, I’m close,” Perri warned me, his hand snaking over my hip to grasp my turgid shaft. “Come for me, ‘Dalf.”

And I came for him, the way that I hope I will always come. He shuddered and thrust once more before releasing deep within me where life already grew. Slowly he guided us down to our sides, still inside of me with his hand cradling my limp shaft. I took a deep breath and let it out, grasping his other hand and bringing it to my lips. I pressed a myriad of little kisses all over the beautiful long fingers.

“You were inspired, Perri.” I smiled and nibbled at his palm.

“My inspiration is always you, my love.” He kissed the back of my neck. “It’s finally over, isn’t it? The foe is vanquished completely.”

“I certainly hope so.” I thought about it. “I forget who said it but there were only two shadows and the first I destroyed. The children seemed quite sure that none of them would be coming back through that . . . door.”

“They were magnificent, Gandalf.” Soft lips grazed my skin and I arched into the gentle nibble. “Will our son be like them?”

I wondered about that, too. “I know not, beloved. Lorrin seems to think so and he is the expert here. Our Jerdal will have older friends who can show him the way. Did I tell you that Lorrin said our son’s element is fire?”

He chuckled and tenderly eased his spent shaft from my body, turning me onto my back so he could look into my eyes. Brushing my hair from its tangle around my face, he contemplated the future. “I am not surprised since I know your passion melts me regularly. Jer will have more than just older friends to show him the way, beloved. He will have you to nurture and help his gift flower, also.”

It was my turn to chuckle. “Keeping up with him will be its own challenge, Perri.”

********* Elrond ********* 

I groaned pitifully but my lover was intent on giving our daughter company. His shaft reamed my channel relentlessly while I panted to get enough air into my burning lungs. He targeted my sweet spot with unerring accuracy until it felt like I would explode like some of Gandalf’s fireworks. It was too much and without any assistance, my rigid cock poured forth my seed into the pillow that cradled my hips.

“El’,” he gasped and came deep within me.

Did our daughter feel that burning liquid race past her? What did she feel when my inner muscles rhythmically milked the hard cock that gave me so much pleasure? I would have collapsed when my arms went limp but Glorfindel had already eased himself from my body and cradled me in his arms.

His lips softly mapped my face while his husky voice told me how beautiful I was. I was still trembling with the force of my climax but his hands stroked me tenderly so that I slowly began to relax. I may have even napped for a bit because when I next opened my eyes, it seemed the light was dimmer.

“Hungry, love?” My lover asked with a twinkle.

“I’m always hungry, ‘Del.” I flirted up at him and smoothed my hands over his broad chest, my fingers tweaking his nipples.

He nipped my chin. “Then you’re going to love dinner tonight. The menu includes venison compliments of your sons with newly picked asparagus, Pippin’s tart vinaigrette salad and Jallico’s flaming cherries jubilee.”

I licked my lips and barely kept my groan to myself. “We need to clean up and go to dinner soon.”

Rolling out onto the floor, Glorfindel reached down and gave me a hand up and out of our bed. We cleaned each other with the warm water waiting in the tiled bathroom. ‘Del combed my hair out and braided it back from my face then I returned the favor. I chose the dark brown velvet tunic that buttoned up the sides and left the bottom five buttons undone. When I grew bigger, I’d have to leave more unbuttoned.

‘Del stroked the small mound that was growing in front of me. “She grows apace, beloved. Soon she will proclaim her presence to all. We haven’t really spoken of where she is to be born.”

“I know.” I covered his hands with mine. “I’d like it to be here, ‘Del. Lorrin and Rhea are experienced at male births. And when Miriel delivers our grandchildren, we’ll already be right here.” He nodded in agreement. “Then we’ll go home.”

********* Elrohir ********* 

I nuzzled that spot behind Miriel’s right ear and felt her shiver all the way down to her toes. Elladan was slowly thrusting deep within her pliant body and they were both close. I cupped her small breasts and rolled the pink nipples between my thumbs and forefingers. She was now so sensitive that she moaned and came at just that touch. ‘Dan shuddered and managed one more thrust before emptying his seed inside her.

They were both panting and I moved gently from behind Miriel so they could lay flat and catch their breaths. My two beautiful loves, I thought, stroking the growing mound that held our son and daughter, soon to be two more of my beautiful loves. How had I gotten so lucky to have such riches handed to me? I kissed the stretching skin and wondered when we’d first feel them move.

“Beloved,” Dan smiled up at me, rising to glove my cock, which was still hard and aching. “Which of us should house this magnificent organ, El’?”

“I shall need more time to recover, my loves, but I will enjoy watching you make sweet love together.” Miriel scooted a bit to one side and trailed a hand up my thigh, teasing me with her too light touch.

Dan’s head was in my lap, sucking me to wet mithril. I shivered myself before tumbling him onto his back and kissing him hard. He wrapped his legs around my waist and pulled me in closer. I’d loosened his guardian muscle earlier so now all I had to do was nudge his hole before sliding inside my home-away-from-home. He was hot and tight around my bulk and I paused when my balls hit his cheeks.

His dark eyes shone into mine and we kissed again but more gently than before. His tongue was rough against mine and his taste filled my senses with the familiar taste of home. I loved Miriel with all my heart but Elladan held my soul within his keeping and I knew that I held his. I would have held out for more kissing but he rippled his inner muscles around me and I had to move.

“You grow larger when it’s been a whole day, El.” He moaned a little when my hair brushed across his chest. “Harder . . . oh Lady . . . there . . . right there . . . El!”

My vision narrowed to his beloved face, now sweaty and flushed. The familiar blush started at his throat and flooded his whole body with heat while his muscles squeezed my cock into release. I felt the last of the fear the events of the week had brought us all flow out with my seed. All my muscles relaxed and my brother cradled my body with his own.

Miriel stroked the hair away from my face and kissed my temple gently while Elladan nuzzled my cheek with his lips. I was surrounded by love and felt like purring. Our whispered ‘I love you’s’ filled the room with their warmth.

********* Gimli ********* 

Dinner was a long and protracted affair with everyone relaxing and chatting of the normal day to day doings of a community like ours. It was good to see and hear. Some were planning to take our wares down to the summer fair at Bridgewell, the small village that was growing around the Last Bridge. We’d all worked hard over the winter to craft those items that would sell.

This fair would be larger than ever before or so said the letters we received from our friends outside our valley. Men, Elves, Dwarves and Hobbits would all be participating in this one and Legolas had mentioned that he thought our family should go along. It would be the first time that the twins would be exposed to a place and people outside of our valley.

They were still so young that I was of two minds about it. Not even seeing them deal with the creature of darkness had lessened my protective instincts. Legolas chuckled when I told him that and kissed me sweetly before telling me that he felt the same urge but they had to meet the world sooner or later.

I just thought it should be later . . . say twenty years later. He tweaked my nose and smiled down at me so I knew we’d probably be going to the fair. I came away from my thoughts with a start when Glimmer crawled into my lap from the chair set between Legolas and me. He and Pharin shared the tall box that sat on the oak seat so they could see the table and their plates.

Most of the food made its way into their mouths although Glimmer was still having some trouble with the food sliding off his fork. Keeping it level still took a little hand-eye coordination that he was learning. Pharin didn’t like forks so she ate everything with a spoon after Legolas or I had cut it up for her. I shuddered to think what would happen when we gave them knives.

Papa had already brought out the stories of when I was learning to eat and my cheeks still burned when he told the tale of the partridge and the slippery pewter trencher. Legolas had kept a straight face with difficulty but I’d come upon him biting his pillow that night while laughter shook his whole body. I pretended to be affronted but he saw through me in a heartbeat, the way he always does and we laughed together until he rolled me over and made wild, passionate love to me.

That memory made my breeches grow tight and Glimmer giggled while tugging at my hair. “Da, play wit’ Bilbo please.”

I’d missed something. “You want to go play with Bilbo and Elanor?” I looked up and saw Sam nodding. “Well, if it’s all right with Sam and Frodo then I guess I’ll see you at dusk.”

He nodded vigorously and kissed my cheek. “We be home for baf-time, Da.”

“Good boy,” I took a deep breath of baby-scent and let him down to the floor where he and Pharin joined the hobbit twins. They dashed toward the smaller door but had to wait until Sam opened it for them. Frodo was right behind him and we waved them off while Legolas finished his tea. I had the urge to enjoy this unexpected private time with my beautiful bonded in our bed so my eyes may have been a trifle possessive when his gaze caught mine.

His went sultry immediately and the air in the dining hall seemed to be sucked away. We made hasty goodbyes to the others at our table but Papa’s knowing look made me blush so hard that I was still faintly red when we entered our front door. No cloaks had been needed in this time between winter and summer so we took off our boots and kept on going until we reached our bedroom.

Legolas was on his knees before me and his clever hands stripped off my shirt before I could even reach for his tunic. Then it was a race to see who got naked first. I won since I snuck a quick nip to the pink nipple over his heart and he froze with a moan that curled my toes while I slid his pants down and off those long legs of his. He stood abruptly with me still in his arms and I was reminded of how strong he really was, for I am no light weight.

I landed on the bed with a bit of a thump while he finished pulling off my breeches and the thick wool socks that kept my toes warm in the mountain depths. But those weren’t the depths that concerned me at the moment since my beautiful Elf had blanketed me with his skinny self and was intent on stealing my breath from me. His golden hair curtained my face with silken strands, each one branding me with his scent.

His hands cradled my head while his lips nipped little kisses across my face, avoiding my lips completely. But my fingers were stroking down his back to the firm cheeks with the same teasing strokes, never going to quite the right spot. Our cocks were dueling for space between us, sliding in slippery bliss against each other.

“Legolas . . . beloved . . .” I gasped when his teeth bit my ear lobe. “What is your wish this evening?” I bumped my hips up a little and met his coming down with a shiver. “Does your arrow require a sheath?”

He chuckled and stilled for a moment, those big blue eyes glowing into mine. “I think it does, beloved. Then perhaps after our bath with the children, we can come back to bed and you can go mining with your” he wiggled against my cock, which went a little harder at just the thought, “ever-ready tool.”

I thrust up a little more and felt my stomach tighten in anticipation. “I think that an excellent idea, beloved.”

He must have gotten the oil while he was kissing me because his fingers were slick with it when he slid one inside of me. It still felt odd even after the last two years. I was usually on the giving end rather than the receiving end but I always enjoyed it when he sparked that hot spot inside my sheath. Perhaps I’d be able to coax him into trading off more often.

But all my thoughts scattered to the four corners of the valley when he flipped me onto my stomach and breached me with one long thrust of his arrow. I groaned and went onto all fours, the better to push back against him. He always feels huge when he first enters but by the time he has set his rhythm, he just feels right.

“Dear Lady, Gimli,” he shuddered a bit when I tightened around him, “I forget how very tight you are when it’s been a while. Is this . . .” he hit the spot, “all right for you?”

“Any more all right and I’d be passed out on the bed while you warm my target.” I squeezed around him again and felt him shiver.

It had been two days since we’d made love and my self-control was sadly lacking. He always knows when I’m close and tonight was no different. He does this little thing with his hips that feels like he’s literally screwing himself into me. Whatever it is, it always makes me feel like he’s gone deeper inside of me than he’s ever been before. I could feel myself tightening all over and when his cool hand grasped my cock and squeezed, I came and came hard.

It felt like lightning striking while he rippled throughout my entire body. I think every muscle in my body seized at the same moment and I may have passed out for a moment. But when I came to, I had a living, breathing Elven blanket from the top of my head all the way down to my toes. His breath tickled the top of my head while his hands still clasped my chest. Taking a quick squeeze to check and see if he was still inside of me, I felt his bulk slowly begin to slip out.

“Beloved,” his voice had that deep note of satisfaction that I loved to hear. “You’ve worn me out for now.” He kissed the top of my head and raised up just enough to slip from me and move to the side.

I turned a bit awkwardly, clenching my cheeks to keep the trickles from staining the sheets. But he already had the towel we kept on the side table to gently clean his seed from me. I suddenly had the wish that none of our seed would go to waste but hastily banished the thought from my mind. It was still much too soon for Legolas to get pregnant again. We’d decided that once the twins were three years old, we’d think about having more children.

“Later, Gimli,” he murmured in my ear and fell asleep just like that.


	14. Chapter 14

********* Merry ********* 

I held Bluebird over my head while she squealed with laughter. She was growing up so fast that it didn’t seem possible that she wasn’t one yet. Everyday we found something new that she had learned. She wasn’t just crawling these days, she was walking and when she wasn’t walking, she was floating. Where the energy was coming from, I hadn’t a clue. Pippin just laughed and reminded me that he’d been no better when he was small.

He was right. I’d been chasing after him from the moment he started walking and now he’d given me a daughter who was just like him. Thank all the Powers that be. I brought her down and kissed her cheek. Her baby hands grabbed my hair while she smothered my face with her favorite smacking kisses.

“Merry, are we ready to go?” Pip came from the nursery with Bast cradled in his fabric sling and the big bag of child supplies that we took every where with us. “I sent the food on ahead with Jallico so that’s one less thing to carry. Is Her Highness ready for our picnic?”

Blue nodded vigorously. “Go, Mama. Go now.”

“Go now are your favorite words, aren’t they, sweetheart?” I settled her in the sling on my back so I could help carry the supplies that two babies needed. “We’re off!”

Bast and Blue giggled while we walked out our front door in time to meet Sam, Frodo and the twins. I could have sworn that the little ones were talking silently while we exchanged greetings. I had that feeling a lot lately. They’d showed some of their powers in the confrontation with the shadow creature but since then, they’d just been children. They played, ate, played some more and slept the night through.

But I got the impression that more communication was going on than we knew. All we could do was love them and wait for them to let us know what other powers might be awakening. Sometimes, I wondered if it was our journey during the war and all the things that had happened to us that was the reason for their differences, not to mention the Ent drink that Pip and I had drunk.

Maybe I’d talk to Lorrin today and see what he thought, I decided. Blue patted my cheek and I smiled at her. “What’s up, sweetheart?”

“Fast,” she nodded.

“Oh, your Highness wants us to hurry?” I smothered a kiss onto her soft cheek and she giggled. “And why would that be, Bluebird?”

“Din’,” she said emphatically.

“Ah, dinner is waiting with all those good things that your mama makes, isn’t it?”

She nodded and Pip laughed from my side. We both looked at him and he held out one of the cheese biscuits that he bakes. She smiled her thanks and began to nibble all around the edges with her two front teeth that had just broken through two weeks before. I looked around at our friends and children and felt my heart give a great leap. We’d survived things that still occasionally appeared in one of my nightmares.

But we’d survived, won the freedom of Middle Earth and created growing families out of our love and caring. Contentment, I decided, I’m content and happy. Maybe having babies did that to you; I mused silently and wished my parents were here so I could ask them. We’d sent off letters when we adopted Basteal but hadn’t had an answer yet. There had to be a faster way to deliver the mail between Friendly and the Shire.

“What has you thinking so hard, Merry?” Sam’s voice came from right beside me.

His curly hair looked like he’d had little fingers running through it. Smiling, I wondered if mine looked as tousled. “The mail, Sam, I’m thinking about how long it takes our letters to get to the Shire and back again. It’s so slow.”

“Aye, it is that pokey that it seems a shame that we can’t speed it up a bit.” He smiled at Bluebird and she stopped nibbling long enough to smile back. “Look at those teeth, Blue, you’re growing so fast.”

“Fly,” she said sweetly and went back to crumbling the biscuit over my shirt.

We looked at each other with identical frowns. But Bilbo ran back to Sam and tugged his pants so his father picked him up. “Use birds take letters, Da. Fly fast up high.”

“Well, that’s a real good idea, Bilbo but how would they know where to take them?” Sam said seriously while I held in a snicker.

The little boy thought for a long moment then smiled. “We’ll tell them to go where Granpa live.”

“But how would they know where that was?” Sam asked patiently.

“Show picture in mind.” Bilbo said triumphantly.

Pictures in the mind, I thought with a smile. Whatever would they come up with next?

********* Sam ********* 

I had a real odd feeling about Bilbo’s suggestion. It was kind of like the feeling that I used to get when Frodo and I were on our journey and he was thinking something that I wouldn’t understand, something big and scary and life changing. I was already pretty sure that our babies were talking with just their minds. When I asked Gandalf about that, he smiled and said that he thought so, too.

And Frodo said the same thing when I asked him. When it made me feel kind of useless, he just kissed me sweetly and made me sit down to play with them. Building block towers and knocking them down was still a favorite game and listening to them crow with laughter when the brightly painted blocks fell always made me feel better. 

Frodo could make me feel five foot tall with just a smile but when he hugged me close and thanked me for giving him such beautiful and smart babies, I thought maybe I was the most blessed Hobbit in the whole world. Looking over to him walking with Pippin, I caught the tail-end of a smile that made my breeches draw tight. His blue eyes were sparkling and I suddenly wished we weren’t headed for such a public picnic.

He was looking at me and I blushed because I could just tell that he knew what I was thinking. “Sam, it looks like you need a nice river-chilled beer to cool you down.”

Only if I stand in the river for a few moments, I thought while Bilbo giggled in my arms. “I was just thinking that same thing, Frodo. It’s a good thing we’re almost there.” 

Half of Friendly was already here and we greeted each other with smiles and laughter while we set up our blankets under the willow tree and let our children run free. Elrond and Glorfindel were one tree over and I could see that the Elven Lord was feeling the heat. He was fanning himself while Glorfindel brought him a cool drink. So I went over to tell him what had worked for Frodo when he got hot.

“My lord, if you keep a cool, wet cloth on the back of your neck that helps with the heat.” I said diffidently. “And keeping your feet cool helps, too.”

“Good thinking, Sam.” Glorfindel said with a smile before getting up and heading for the river.

“I’m only half way through this whole thing and I’m already pouting like a spoiled child.” Lord Elrond said with a sigh but then he smiled, too.

Frodo crossed over to the dark elf and hugged him. “You’re not pouting, Elrond. When you’re as big as a house and you’re peeing every ten minutes, that’s when you’ll be pouting.”

They both started to laugh and I saw the elf hug him back. It just goes to show that even lords and such can still be just regular folks. Frodo came back to me and sat down real close, slipping his hand into mine. I looked into those beautiful eyes of his and wished that we were alone so I could kiss him and touch him. Every once in a while, I get that randy that I just want to ravish him where he sits.

“Sam, if you keep looking at me like that, we’re going to have to go hide in the river.” He said quietly before leaning in even closer to whisper in my ear. “I’d be all wet and slick and open. I’d want that lovely big tool of yours to slide right in and remind me of making babies.”

“eep,” I couldn’t say a thing, not a blessed thing while that wild vision was racing through my head. I had to be beet red and all but he just chuckled real deep and throaty like he does some times and my poor cock felt like one of those rods of iron that the dwarves made swords and daggers out of on their forge.

Swords and sheaths, just kind of went together in my mind and Frodo wasn’t helping any, either with that innocent look of his and a slight flutter of his long eyelashes. I cleared my throat and snuck a look at him. “I reckon our lily pond tonight would be a real cool place to be once the children were tucked in.”

He smiled and patted my knee. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, Sam. We’ll be just the two of us in the dark, under the stars, sliding into the cool water while we listen to the frogs croaking on the far side of the pond.”

Frodo was a master with words, I thought proudly while I swelled a little harder at his husky whisper that only I could hear. 

“We’ll be all alone . . . your hands will feel so good on my hot chest . . . you always taste so good that I’ll be licking your sweaty skin . . . tasting your nipples and sliding my tongue over your stomach.” He turned his head just a little bit more and bit my earlobe so quickly that no one could have seen it.

I was hard as a rock, afraid to move for fear that I’d explode in my britches and really glad that the twins were off playing with their friends.

“But you’ll be tasting me, too. My own Sam, you’ll be touching me, teasing me and getting me ready for that great . . . big . . . cock of yours. I’ll be all wanton like I was after drinking that potion in Minas Tirith, rubbing myself against you and begging you to take me . . . slide inside of me . . . plant your Sam-lings deep within me.” His tongue flicked out and tickled that spot behind my ear.

And I came, just like that, in my pants like a tweenie with his first lover. Frodo sighed my name and came, too. We were both quiet for a long moment while I tried to sort out what had just happened. He looked a little rueful. “I’m sorry, my love. I just couldn’t resist. You looked so edible that I had to do something. Forgive me?”

Well, of course I did with a kiss. “We’re going to be doing all of that tonight.”

********* Perri ********* 

Gandalf was like a child with his fireworks. The children of Friendly thought he was the most magical person in all of Middle-earth and I agreed with them. Now that dusk had fallen, the air was alive with fiery butterflies flying around our ears and bunnies hopping past our feet. Golden sparkles flew through the air mixed with red and green tails from fantastical creatures out of myth.

Both sets of twins were squealing with laughter while they tried to catch the sparkles. Pippin had had to hold onto Bluebird very tightly to keep her from floating up to touch the ‘pretty songs’ and suddenly I wondered what our son would be like. Would he share Gandalf’s gift of fire or would another element claim him?

Finally all the fireworks were finished and true night was settling onto the cove we’d nicknamed the ‘Anniversary Cove’. Carved tables and comfortable wooden chairs now made a permanent home here where the citizens of Friendly came for picnics and other celebrations. Looking around, I found most of the others had already begun the walk back to home.

The wagons that had brought supplies to the picnic were now loaded with residents who didn’t want to walk back. Courting couples walked hand-in-hand down the path that would lead us home. I spotted Glorfindel with his arm around Elrond taking the meandering path back and I smiled at the thought of the two men I so admired, who had helped me to my greatest blessing.

Turning, I found Gandalf looking out over the river. Crossing to his side, I slid my arms around his expanding waistline. He put an arm around me and dropped a kiss onto my head. “It was a good party wasn’t it, Perri?”

“A very good party, my love and your fireworks were the best part.” I assured him and caught the gleam of his smile before he kissed me properly.

I could still taste the pickles in honey that he craved and that Pippin always made sure were close at hand. I could no longer get completely close because our son was in the way but that was all right since we were in semi-public view. Casting my senses out into the grove, I discovered that we were quite alone now, which made me want to celebrate that fact.

Gandalf wasn’t the only one who knew something about fireworks. Gently, I led him to the willow tree where the cushions still lay. The warm day had left its heat behind so I didn’t fear undressing my love. The starlight was enough that I could see the fond look on his beloved face while he entered into the spirit of the day.

“It’s not our anniversary, beloved but that doesn’t mean that we can’t celebrate, too.” He winked at me then slid off my tunic so he had bare skin to touch.

“Very true, my love, but I’m sure there’s something that we can celebrate.” I teased him back and that’s when it happened. We were nose to nose on our sides, letting our hands roam where ever they wished when I felt a flutter against my stomach.

We stopped moving, holding our breaths and waiting. It came again, a small faint movement like the first flutter of a hummingbird’s wings.

“It’s our son,” Gandalf said quietly and I looked up to catch a look of such surprise on his face. “Frodo told me what it would feel like but . . . it’s so much more than I was expecting.”

I curled down and pressed my lips against the swelling flesh, blinking back tears. “Hello, little one, we’re glad that you’ve decided to move.”

“Dear Havens, this is just the beginning, Perri. Soon he’ll be kicking day and night while he grows and I get as big as a house.” It might have been a grumble but for the note of awe in his voice.

Moving back up to his lips, I kissed him breathless before pulling away and reaching for the pouch from my belt. “You’re quite right, Gandalf. I’m just going to have to make sure that you realize how very much you are loved.”

He began to laugh while I kissed my way down his chest and started stretching him with salve covered fingers. His shaft was already hard when I got down that far so I settled in to nibble his lovely cock up one side and down the other. He groaned and I felt his hands comb through my hair.

Heat and tightness surrounded my fingers and when he moaned my name, I knew it was time to claim him again. Slicking my flesh, I eased inside and slid deep. He sighed and clenched around me while I stilled to savor him. “Dearest beloved, you are so beautiful like this, swollen with our child.”

Pushing back against me, he groaned. “Perri, you always feel so good inside me. I wonder what our child feels when we’re connected like this?”

I began the long pull out before thrusting slowly back in. “He must feel our love surrounding him.” Another in-and-out and his channel rippled around me. “It feels so good to both of us that surely he feels the warmth we’re generating.” His legs were now over my shoulders so I could get deeper. “Lorrin has already said that once you get five inches bigger, we’ll have to forego this method of making love so that must mean that he can feel our movements.”

“I will miss this, beloved.” He squeezed around me and I began to leisurely fist his shaft. “When you’re inside of me, I feel like the most powerful wizard in the world. Oh there, my love, right there.”

I smiled and made sure that I hit my target. I would miss this, too. Knowing that he loved my cock and enjoyed taking it within him, went a long ways towards making me feel better about my size. Others in King Thranduil’s Guard had told me that I was too big to ever be able to make love with any of them. Of course, they were willing to show me how it should be done so long as I was the recipient of their cocks.

That hadn’t convinced me but over the centuries, I had noticed that I was bigger than most of them. I’d thought that if I could ever have a chance with my wizard that I’d be the one taking his shaft as the others had said I should. But he’d been surprised and delighted at my size, so much so that he rarely if ever came inside of me. Thinking about the first time he had, I speeded up again.

He was moaning continuously now and his skin shivered with his need to come. I tightened my grip around him and he tightened around me in return. And we came together as we did sometimes now, his cock spurting between us while I flooded him with my seed. We trembled together and again we felt the little flutter that was our son.

“I think he’s saying that it’s time for bed, Gandalf.” I chuckled and reached down to kiss the mound growing up from what had been his flat stomach. “The air is growing chilly, my love. It’s time we go home.” I gently withdrew from him and missed his heat immediately.

“Ah,” he sighed before his long arms pulled me up to his lips. I was barely able to keep my weight off our son and realized that all too soon, we would have to give up making love face to face.

But only until he gave birth. Gave birth, I thought with that little thrill that always came when I thought about it. With Lorrin and Rheanus to help him, nothing would go wrong. Gandalf would deliver our healthy son and I would pamper him until he was completely back to his old self. Untangling our limbs, we dressed and I called for Shadowfax. Somehow I’d known that we’d be too tired to walk back and he’d been grazing nearby for most of the day.

The white horse knelt to make it easier for Gandalf to mount him; he seemed to understand that the wizard could no longer move as easily as before. I swung up behind him so I could ride with my arms around him, his big hands holding mine close. Shadowfax knew where to go so we rode home contented with the day and each other.


	15. Chapter 15

********* Gimli ********* 

Aragorn’s messenger arrived on the first day of October. It had been almost six weeks since our last news from Gondor. This time he brought with him letters from both Rohan and Lothlorien. Frodo, Legolas and I joined with Elrond and Glorfindel at the guest house after sending Sam for Gandalf and Perri. Some of the letters were addressed to Legolas, some to Elrond but one was to me from Lady Eowyn.

She was a nice girl and while I read her letter, I thought back to the days of our quest when my beautiful elf was still a bit of a mystery to me. Looking over at him while he laughed with Pharin at Elrond’s pout, I blessed every day we’d had together. As if he could hear my thoughts, he turned his head and smiled at me. All the love in the world was mine since our bonding.

His smile turned a little sultry and I decided not to return to the mines today. Perhaps Nana and Pfister would take the twins while we played hooky from our duties and visited the hot springs. Now that the weather was turning cooler, the little spring where we’d first celebrated the birth of our children would feel good. Maybe Pippin would make a picnic for us?

Gandalf arrived and lowered himself to one of the straight backed chairs. Perri fussed over him, getting him a pillow for his back and asking him if he wanted some tea. I worried about him as did we all. He was much the oldest person to be pregnant that we knew of and Perri despaired of keeping him off his feet. I know that Legolas visited them twice a day except when Gandalf joined him and Frodo in the archives.

Lorrin and my father arrived hard on their heels. Lorrin spent most of his time with our wizard and the dark elf lord. We didn’t know how long they would carry their babies. Miriel had finally given up making the rounds with her father; the twins she carried had slowed her down completely. Her mother spent most of her time with her while they sewed innumerable clothes for the coming babies.

The king’s messenger’s eyes couldn’t have gotten any bigger. Gandalf and Elrond had swelled almost beyond what my Legolas had shown and he had carried twins. For a few moments, his answers were distracted to say the least. But then he got back into the news of the realm and he spoke for almost an hour before stopping. We asked questions for another hour before Gloin showed him to one of the guest rooms so he could take a hot bath and get ready for dinner and another retelling of the news.

Elrond was chuckling over his parchment and he got our attention to read part of a letter from Arwen. “Dear Father, if you are half as irritable as Grandmother, I pity poor Glorfindel. She is huge and has the most appalling cravings. Grandfather is at his wit’s end and the others have taken to tiptoeing around her as if she were a volcano ready to explode. Our healer says that she still has two months to go but he said it from across the room since she now delights in throwing things. 

“We make sure that there are always lots of pillows nearby since once she started in on the china, she decimated the entire contents of the dining hall settings.” Elrond stopped to laugh uncontrollably while Glorfindel rolled his eyes and kept on rubbing his shoulders. “Aragorn and Grandfather think we should hold a council once the babies are all safely born. They want to include the Hobbits this time. Aragorn says we need some common sense at the council table.”

“Hear, hear,” Frodo said from the floor where he sat cross-legged giving Gandalf a foot massage. “If the next council meeting is anything like the one we had about the Ring, then it would be a good idea to have the Tooks and the Brandybucks there. They could combine the trip with a visit here to see their grandchildren. Where would we hold it?”

Gandalf’s eyes were half-slitted with pleasure with Perri massaging his left foot and Frodo massaging his right. “Helm’s Deep is half-way between us. Once spring has come, the Gap of Rohan will be clear and we can let King Eomer host us at his newly rebuilt fortress.”

“Father will oppose that suggestion.” My love’s voice was calm but I thought I could hear of note of uncertainty there. “They are usually held at Lothlorien.”

“They won’t have enough china to serve us all.” I said, eyeing my bonded. His head turned to me and his sweet smile made my heart thump a double beat. “Besides, the world has grown immeasurably larger since last we took council. It’s time for all races to be represented, to meet and talk about the problems that face us.”

“Maybe we can work on the mail problem.” Sam spoke up from where he was building blocks with the children. All our eyes came to him and he blushed but continued. “It’s so slow even though we no longer have to worry about shadows killing people. It would be really nice if we could speed it up. Bluebird and Bilbo think we should use birds to carry messages.”

“Woud wuwk, Da,” Bilbo nodded emphatically and our children joined in.

“Drakes, Da, fast drakes,” Pharin said. “Like Cloud-walker.”

I remembered my first sight of the flyer who’d taken Lorrin and Papa to Rivendell. “Are there many wind-drakes, Lorrin?”

“Not up to now, Gimli but Cloud-walker said that all the fertile females have laid clutches of three to four eggs each. Come the winter solstice, there will be more wind-drakes born than at any time in their long history.” Lorrin smiled. “Middle-earth is preparing more surprises for us, I think. After the long darkness, a new rebirth is beginning. The council may have more representatives than just the two legged races.”

I thought that would be a very interesting council. My bonded’s father was just going to have to lump it. The world had moved past him. And just maybe . . . once he saw his grandchildren, he would see what he was missing and unbend that stiff neck keeping him from seeing how happy his son was with me and our babies. I wasn’t going to hold my breath. No matter what, I would not allow him to hurt Legolas again.

When I came back to the conversation, it had moved on to the other letters. I added my bit about Eowyn and Faramir and the unexpected pregnancy that had her stuck in their tower. Still her fondness for her husband shone through her complaints about never getting to go anywhere. By the date on the letter, she’d already delivered their child and I needed to fashion a christening cup.

I put it on my mental list to do later since my bonded was giving me a most sultry look. It was definitely time to hand the children over to Nanala or their grandparents and maybe pick up a picnic basket for a little dinner for two. I could hardly wait to get him alone and wet. We were soon on our way, Papa and Lorrin asking us if they could take the babies for the evening.

My beaming smile was all the answer they needed and the twins immediately demanded to be held by Gampa Lor and Gampa Glo. I paused for a moment, thinking about that odd thought. The babies had two male parents and two male grandparents. How in the world would they cope with an outside world where that was an aberration rather than the norm? I’d seen the side-ways glances of some of the messengers and tradesmen who visited Friendly when ever they saw Legolas and me holding hands or kissing.

Our settlement’s citizens didn’t think twice about it anymore but others would not be so kind. Thranduil’s reaction to our love had been swift and deadly. That was a reaction I feared would hurt my beautiful Elf and our sweet babes. Still if we never left our enchanted valley, our shining example of love and trust would never be seen by those who needed it the most.

“Beloved, you are thinking very deep thoughts.” A slim hand raised my chin while he knelt on one knee beside me. “Was this not what your glance spoke to me?”

I blinked then shook my head. “Odd thoughts, my love, they are just odd thoughts at this reminder of a world beyond our valley.”

His smile was brighter than sunshine on snow. “We are blessed by this haven, Gimli. Now, you are going to go beg a portable dinner from Pippin while I bundle together the supplies we need for a trip to the hot springs. I will meet you at the back door of the dining hall. Be sure and ask for a bottle of white wine to go with our meal, my hardy dwarf.”

He rose gracefully and headed towards our home with a little extra sway in his hips. Mentally I licked my lips and thought about his beautiful body gleaming wet beneath my hands. We were going to need some re-fueling once this fire began to burn so I turned to the dining hall, practicing my begging look. Surely Pippin would understand and help me out?

He laughed at me but packed enough provisions to be sure our stomach hunger would be satisfied. I’d no sooner left out the back door when I saw Legolas walking towards me. He’s even more beautiful from this angle, I thought with a satisfied smile. Holding out his hand, he led me to the path that would lead us to the little springs. The air was cool and crisp, the sun already beginning to sink behind the mountains.

We spoke not at all, content to simply be together beneath the towering oaks. Legolas’ eyes always went to his friends when he’d been away from them for a while. I sometimes thought that the long hours in the archives meant he needed extra time with the trees of Friendly. The wish that some of the Ents might visit or even decide to dwell here popped up again in my thoughts.

“Legolas, did we ever hear from Treebeard about some of his kin visiting?” I looked up and caught the trailing edge of a smile.

“Nay, love, he would have to think about it for a time. I’m hoping that he decides to write back to us by the twins fifth birthday.” He cocked his head. “The springs are just ahead. I’m so glad that you thought of this.”

Even I could hear them by now and I smiled at my bonded. Setting our supplies down in the small circle of trees, I began undressing immediately having more layers than my beloved to remove. Elves just didn’t feel the cold like dwarves did. Glimmer was definitely more dwarf than elf since he already wore a woolen vest over his shirt while his sister wore a dress only.

My thoughts scattered as they always do when I behold my lover naked. He’s all lean lines and rippling muscles, his hair gleaming in the dying rays of the sun. But he was kneeling in front of me again to help me with those last buttons that held my pants up. I leaned in and took his lips to remind me of his tasty self. Opening to me, he sucked my tongue into his mouth while sliding my pants off completely.

The breeze was chilly but my blood was already heating. He pulled just far enough away to urge me into the bubbling water. I braced myself for the shock of bubbles exploding against my skin but it still startled me a little. If there was a way to reproduce that effect in a plain tub, it would be like having your very own springs. I’d tell Papa about my idea when I next saw him. He was a genius when it came to inventing.

“Dearest Gimli, you have been distracted all day.” Legolas was sitting on one side of the spa with my feet in his lap. 

When had I sat down? “Sorry, beloved, I’m feeling a little out of sorts. What will happen at the next Council when we all meet after this time apart? Part of me wants to experience this new world we helped create but part of me wants to stay safe and sound here with you and our children. I’m no longer an adventurer.”

He chuckled and slid between my legs until we were chest to chest. “I understand, my love, I truly do. I see our babies growing so quickly that I wonder if I can keep up with them. Everyday something changes and I want to stop the world for a week so I can just ‘be’ with them and with you. But the sun stands still for no one and the changes keep coming whether we will or no.”

I cupped his face with my callused hands. “I love you more each day, Legolas. I find myself coming home early just so I can watch you translating some weighty tome. On one hand, I want to show you and our brilliant children to the world but on the other, I want to keep you safe all to myself and our valley.”

He leaned in and kissed me deeply, his arms encircling me with a firm grip. He tasted of apples and mustard, Gandalf’s odd craving having inexplicably spread to my lover. That made me smile into our kiss and he pulled back to see why. All I could do was shrug and draw him back to my needy lips. My hands wandered over his broad chest, brushing against his nipples and wishing that they still gave sweet milk.

Once the twins turned to solid food, his breasts had ceased to produce. But they were still sensitive and I loved suckling at them. His breathy little moan lit a fire inside of me and suddenly we weren’t close enough. He must have agreed with my unspoken thought because he surged from the water, bringing me up with him. We stumbled to the waiting blanket, neither of us willing to let go of the other.

The oil was to the ready and he fingered himself open while I slicked myself for him. While I lay back on the soft blanket that Tilly had woven for us, he slowly took me within his tight sheath until he sat on my heated thighs. Those beautiful blue eyes opened and gazed down at me with quite the most joyful look I’d seen since before the attack from dark forces.

“Beloved Gimli, we will rest this winter and in the spring we will travel forth to show our friends and allies what our Fellowship has done since the war.” He flexed around my shaft and I shivered, not from the chill breeze but from the ripples of pleasure he gifted to me. “It is the Fourth Age of Middle-earth and we are going to help shape the world that our children will inherit.”

His thighs bunched while he rose an inch or two then slowly settled back down. He was going to kill me with his teasing but I would die a happy Dwarf. “If I survive this night, I will gladly give council on the ingredients of a new age. It is,” I shivered when he tightened around me, “love in great quantities, mixed with laughter,” he lifted further while I tried not to thrust up just yet. “Lots of babies are an absolute must.” He was smiling down at me while an errant sunbeam illuminated his flowing golden hair. My heart melted again only to be re-forged into an organ that beat only for him.

We made love so slowly that it seemed we’d been rocking together forever before I released into his keeping and he fountained onto my chest. I hate leaving his snug sheath but finally his muscles pushed me out. Lying side by side with his head pillowed on my shoulder, we rested for a bit. Then we ate our fill, feeding each other succulent tidbits that might have led to another round of lovemaking but for an odd feeling.

Suddenly, we both had the feeling that we were needed elsewhere. While I was throwing everything into the baskets, Legolas sent a mental call to Arod. When he galloped up to us, my love helped me up onto his back then swung easily up behind me. Then we were on our way home in a rush.

********* Perri ********* 

Gandalf had been cranky all day, sitting down one moment then getting up to pace the next. He complained of having to piss constantly yet he craved the sweet apple cider that Jallico made and drank some every few moments. He was hot then he was cold. He laughed at something he re-read in one of our letters then cried over the fall of the golden leaves of the trees outside our windows.

This was more than just the mood swings that had come before. Leaving him alone for a few moments, I dashed down to the healers and told Rhea about his strange behavior. He reassured me that he’d be by to check on him soon and that he would alert Lorrin to the possibility of a change in his status. I nodded and ran back home. I was excited and fearful all at the same time.

Was it too soon or did Istari simply have a shorter gestational period than Elves? Our son was part Istari and part Elf, who knew what was normal for him? I found Gandalf pacing the front room again. He wore only his nightshirt so he must be warm again, I thought. The soft linen was sometimes the only thing he could bear touching his skin. His big hands stroked the large mound that was our child while he carried on a one-sided conversation with him.

“You’re getting impatient aren’t you, little one?” He turned at the far side of the room and walked slowly back to the fireplace. “You’d feel better if you had more room to kick those little arms and legs, wouldn’t you, Jerdal?” His path led him past me and he absent-mindedly kissed my cheek on his way by. “You’re ready to nurse at my breast, little one.” He turned again and snagged an apple on his way past the table. “You’re getting so big that it just may be time for you to come out of your snug haven.”

He stopped in the middle of the room and groaned, the apple falling from his hand. Dear Havens, it was now. I strode to his side and wrapped my arms around him, wishing I could give him my strength. I was in no way ready to watch him go through labor. His hands gripped mine, moving them down to our son so I could feel the ripples starting at his center and spreading out to his whole body. Jerdal was definitely ready to come out and play.

“Perri, I love you.” Gandalf’s eyes were full of tears. “If anything should happen to me, I want you to promise that you’ll stay and take care of our son.”

My blood ran cold. “I love you, Gandalf. Nothing is going to happen to you, beloved. You are going to safely birth our son and we will both take care of little Jerdal. I will accept no other outcome, my dearest love. Rhea and Lorrin will be here shortly, in case you really have started labor. Just think how envious Lord Elrond will be if you give birth before him?”

He chuckled a little before grimacing and bending over to wrap his arms around the linen covered mound. “I need to walk some more, Perri. He seems to like it when I do that.”

“Then walk we shall, ‘Dalf.” I locked my fears away inside my heart and slid my left arm around him to give him something to hold onto. We’d just made the fourth circuit of the room when Lorrin arrived.

The Varyan healer laid both hands over our son and mapped the movements with a curious look on his face. “Gandalf, are you feeling warm?”

“Yes, it’s much too hot in here.” My love said crankily. “Perhaps Perri should open some windows? Some fresh air would be nice.”

If anything it was on the chilly side, I thought with a frisson of fear. But Lorrin nodded and spoke a few words to our son in some ancient dialect that I’d never heard before. “It’s time, Gandalf. Perri, help him to your bed. We’ll not wait to walk to the clinic.”

My lover nodded and I led him to our bedroom, stripping away the covers before slowly helping him off with the nightshirt. To my dismay, the mound was glowing bright red and our son was clearly outlined in white. Even Gandalf looked rather taken aback at the sight but he was soon groaning and shutting his eyes against the sudden pain. The ripples fled from one side to the other and I held his right hand in mine while Lorrin held his left.

“I’m turning Narya downwards, Gandalf.” Lorrin slid the ring so the red stone was next to Gandalf’s palm. It started to glow the same color as his stomach only sharper and more intense. Lorrin slowly moved his hand over the rippling mound until an answering beam of light came from within my beloved. “Hold still, my friend. Let your son and the ring do the work.”

I was biting my lip hard enough to draw blood but since I couldn’t look at our son burning his way out of his mother, I concentrated on Gandalf’s sweaty face. Trickles of sweat rolled down his face and I focused on licking each and every one of them from his skin. His moans ceased suddenly and I quickly looked down to see Lorrin reach within and pull out a tiny red figure.

“A fine boy, Gandalf and Perry, you have a beautiful little fire mage.” Lorrin cradled him in both hands before laying him on Gandalf’s chest. “Rest a bit while I close you up.”

My free hand went to touch our son and with a start, he opened eyes the same shade of blue as my own before letting out a piercing cry. He had excellent lungs, I thought dazedly. Then Gandalf’s other hand joined mine in touching our beautiful little boy and I realized that the only sign of his birth was now a thin red line about eight inches long from his navel up to his chest.

“Perri, if you will clean Gandalf, I will finish cleaning Jerdal.” Lorrin handed me a basin of water and a soft cloth while deftly slipping our son from our grasp. 

He had the right of it and I shook myself back to my beloved’s comfort. There wasn’t much blood and fluid but enough to look uncomfortable. I bathed his face and upper body clean while he watched wide-eyed as Lorrin tied off the umbilical cord and cleaned the tiny body of the afterbirth.

“Perri,” his husky voice brought my gaze back to his. “I love you.”

I kissed him hard and blinked back tears. “I love you, too. Thank you for giving me such a beautiful son.”

He chuckled. “I just carried him, beloved. Next time, it’s your turn.”

We all three laughed but I couldn’t help but notice that Narya pulsed a little redder as if in agreement. But Lorrin was placing our son in Gandalf’s arms while I stuffed another couple of pillows behind him, to take the strain off of his abused stomach muscles. We had a son. Now that the danger was over, I made a rash promise to the Elven gods that I would carry our next child whenever they wished me to.

Jerdal waved his perfect little hand at me and made smacking motions with his tiny lips. Gandalf had watched Pippin nursing Basteal so he knew what to do. Sliding my arm around him, I watched our son begin to nurse at a plump nipple. I was a father and someday perhaps I would know this joy, too.

Narya just glowed faintly in time to our son’s heartbeat.


	16. Chapter 16

********* Pharin ********* 

It was time for Fala to come out of her mama. El’ was ready, too. I left our home running to go and get Gampa Lor when I heard her call. He and Gampa Glo were feeding each other breakfast and trading soft looks that made me giggle.

“Gampa Lor,” I tugged on his sleeve and he picked me up with a smile.

“Good morning, Pharin, does your mother know you came to visit?” He asked.

“No,” I shook my head. “Glimmer knows. Fala comes now. You need to help Unc’ El’.”

He stood up immediately. “Gloin, if you would get Legolas and Gimli, we’ll meet in the Rose Suite. Are you going to help, Pharin?”

Gampa Lor is a wonderful Big Person. He never says that we’re too young to help. I nodded. “Yes, Fala wants wet.”

Nodding, he carried me down the hall. “Then that is what she will receive.” He knocked on their door and Unc’ Del answered.

“Thank goodness, Lorrin. El’ is so restless that he’s frightening me.” Unc’ Del is almost as pretty as Mama but today he was frowning ‘cause he was worried. “Good morning, Pharin, this isn’t a very good time for a visit.”

“No visit – help,” I told him and held out my arms. That always gets me a hug and once we were touching, I kissed his cheek. Sending him calm waves made him feel better and Gampa Lor winked at me before he slipped into the bedroom where Unc’ El’ was waiting.

“I’ll take all the help I can get, little one.” Unc’ Del kissed my forehead. “I do hope that Faladel will take it easy on Elrond.”

“Ready to come out and play, Unc’ Del,” I smiled at him and he carried me back to where I could see the dark elf panting on their big bed while his tummy rippled all over like the river when the fish spawned. Fala was moving restlessly and I could hear her mind talk inside my own head. ‘Out, out, out . . .’ was what she was saying and I giggled at her impatience.

“Pharin?” El’ sounded surprised to see me.

“Help Fala, Unc’ El’, s’e wants to go swimmin’,” I told him and tugged on Unc’ Del to let me down so I could touch Fala like Gampa Lor was. “Baf-tub, Gampa. Fala wants water.”

“Good idea, Pharin.” Gampa Lor nodded and asked Unc’ Del to go run the water. “Not too hot but not too cold either, Glorfindel.”

I stroked the spot where Fala’s hand was reaching for me. “Good Fala, soon come out and play.” I kissed the smooth skin where she was kicking her mama. “Don’ bwuise Unc’ El’. Is time, Gampa.”

Fala was concentrating really hard on getting out and Gampa picked Unc’ El’ right up out of the bed and carried him into the pretty bathroom with the rose veined marble that Dada had mined and carved. Unc’ El’ was moaning just a little when Unc’ Del took him from Gampa before sliding him into the water in front of him so he could hug him tight. Their bathtub was really big so there was still room for Gampa between Unc’ El’s legs.

They were busy using Vilya to open a spot for Fala to come out so I went to the front room to get the basket that sat by the fireplace. It was just the right size for a baby. I carried it back into the bathroom and took a soft rose towel from the cupboard to line it. There, that would be a soft bed for Fala once she was cleaned up. I got back in time to see Gampa pull her out of Unc’ El’s stomach.

Unc’ Del looked kind of queasy but Unc’ El just looked stunned. Gampa washed her off and cut the long cord that came with her. Her mama was already reaching for her when she was handed over. I put the basket near Unc’ Del’s elbow then I watched while Gampa Lor closed up the long cut. I could feel the magic he was doing and I could see it work but I wasn’t sure how it worked.

Gampa Lor had already told Glimmer and me that when we got a little bigger he was going to teach us all about our elements and magic. I could hardly wait to find out how to do all the fun things that he showed us. Mama was going to teach us how to read and write. Dada was going to give us lessons in the Mountain and Gampa Glo was going to teach us how to work with pretty metals.

Lessons were always fun and when we got bigger, there were going to be even more fun times. I felt another impatient voice inside my head and I giggled. “Gampa, Lora and Fin are ready to come out, too.”

Unc’ El looked surprised. “Miriel has gone into labor?”

I nodded vigorously. “Evey-body is coming today. Even Cerri far away.”

Unc’ Del chuckled. “This will be one birthday that no one will ever forget.”

********* Elrohir ********* 

Glimmer showed up on our doorstep at the same moment that Miriel doubled over with a ladylike shriek. The little boy darted past me and went straight to her with a big smile on his face. Elladan had moved to her and was holding her up.

“Fin is weady come out, Miw.” He told her while reaching up to pat the mound that held our twins.

Another pounding at the door brought me back to answer it. Rhea charged in with Bilbo right behind him. The little hobbit tugged on my pant leg and I automatically bent down to pick him up. Stopping for a moment, I realized that for an elf who didn’t like touching others, the children of Friendly had effectively widened my sense of tolerance.

The little boy’s grin told me that he’d probably read my mind. “You loves us, Unc’ Hir. Fin and Lora, too.”

I dropped a kiss on his head and followed the others into our bedroom. Rhea was taking his daughter’s pulse while ‘Dan was cradling Miriel as her back rest and Glimmer had his little hands on the huge mound that was our twins. I joined them and wondered how long before we’d have them in our arms.

8 hours. 

Six hours of walking Miriel around the cottage while the cramps got steadily closer together. Thankfully, her mother joined us after the first hour.

One hour of holding and being held while she told us exactly what she thought about the birth process in words that we hadn’t realized she knew. Thank goodness the little ones had already left for a late lunch.

The last hour went by so slowly that it felt like a day in and of itself. Elladan and I were going to have bruises from head to toe. Her strength was impressive but I would have given my left arm to have spared her the agony that was ripping through her slender body. Lorrin had joined us for the last hour with the news that our little sister had been born and he settled the bet my brother and I had with Miriel.

Glorfindel’s hair and eyes had won. ‘Dan and I promised Miriel that she wouldn’t have to lift a finger around the house for the next two months. She grinned victoriously before beginning the pushing that introduced us to our daughter. Slithering out in a mess of bloody fluid, Lorrin cut the cord and placed her in the towel I held. I could hardly see her through the tears and I used a clean cloth to wipe away the mess from her tiny scrunched up face.

Loralin was beautiful.

Mother Lorel helped me, murmuring soft words about how pretty she was and what a fighter she was. I had no words so I handed her granddaughter over to her and went over to take ‘Dan’s place propping up Miriel. Our son was already sliding into position and I wanted him to be free to hold him. I took the damp cloth from the basin of water by the side of the bed and bathed Miriel’s sweaty face.

“Tired,” she panted.

“I know, sweetheart, just one more push and you can rest.” I kissed her temple and felt her heart skip a beat. Looking at Lorrin and Rhea in concern, I surprised them in a frown.

“Miriel, try and hold back. Don’t push just yet.” Healing hands moved over the shrinking abdomen. “Finidan seems to want to come out backwards.”

”Breech?” Miriel shivered in my arms, rocking back and forth. “Need to push.”

I held her close, both of her hands in mine and gently bit her earlobe. That distracted her long enough for the glow coming from Lorrin’s hands to move the little feet up rather than down. He slid the baby into the proper position and I started breathing again. I looked up into Elladan’s eyes and saw pure terror there. If we had our way, we would never have another child. Two was enough.

“That’s better, little one, try pushing again.” Lorrin moved to one side so Elladan was in position to catch our son.

Miriel put all her strength into it and Fin came sliding out into my brother’s hands. I smiled through new tears and watched ‘Dan reverently hold our son for the first time. Lorrin cut the cord and Rhea was right there to help him clean the little boy. Fin was angry and his cry woke up his sister. Miriel was laughing and crying at the same time.

It was chaos but it was also family. Elladan and I handed the children over to their grandparents so we could bathe Miriel and change the bedding. Once she was comfortable, we entertained visitors . . . lots of visitors. The Hobbits came together, followed shortly by Legolas and his brood. Glimmer was fascinated by Finidan and Lorrin confirmed that they shared the same element of earth.

Bilbo told us that Loralin was like him and Lorrin nodded with a smile. That’s when Pharin said Cerri had been born, too. I spared a hope that poor Grandfather had been able to keep anything breakable from her during the labor. If her trial was anything like Miriel’s then he had my deepest sympathy. I could hardly wait to send off our letters to Lothlorien.

Watching Miriel nurse Loralin, I said quiet prayers of thanksgiving to our Lady. I held my loves close to me and breathed a sigh of relief. Our family was safe and healthy.

********* Gimli ********* 

Well, the second of December will be remembered in Friendly for some years to come. Glimmer and Pharin were so excited about the babies that I didn’t think they’d ever go to sleep. ‘Playmates’ was their assessment of the new arrivals and I shudder to think what the next few years will be like while they’re growing up. Legolas and I hadn’t told them that Elrond, Glorfindel and Faladel would be leaving for Rivendell in a few months.

I could almost hear the wailing already. Hopefully, Jerdal, Loralin and Finidan would be enough new playmates for them. Pippin said that Blue was humming to herself all afternoon about quiet Cerri. If he was anything like their little Bluebird, the Lady was going to have her hands full. I was looking forward to seeing them all at the next Council. 

“Gimli, you still up?” Papa’s gruff voice came from the front door and I waved him in.

“Legolas is just making sure that the twins are finally asleep.” I told him quietly and he grunted before sitting down in the rocker with a bit of a sigh. “Would you like something to drink, Papa?”

“Got any beer, son? I could use a mug or three.” He yawned and scratched his chin. “Lorrin is making one last round of everyone. Our little Pharin is a caution and that’s no mistake. Lorrin said she helped birth Fala just like she’d been doing it for years. He thinks she’s going to be a healer like him and Rhea.”

I chuckled and went into the kitchen to pour a couple of mugs from the cask I’d installed there. One of the brewers of the Blue Mountains had brought his recipes with him and asked if he could join the community. I thought I saw King Thorin’s hand in Dralic’s arrival but he was a master brewer and that was no mistake. We welcomed him and the hop harvest was abundant this year so we had a good variety of ale to choose from.

Coming back in, I found Legolas curled up on the hearth rug talking quietly to my father. I’d thought he’d be joining us so I had a mug of chilled wine for him, which he accepted with a soft smile. Papa drained half of his pint with a sigh of relief. I sat between my bonded’s legs when he drew me down to him, stealing a kiss on the way.

“What a long strange day it’s been, to be sure.” I sighed a bit myself. “I’m glad that they’re all healthy and poor Miriel didn’t have too bad a time of it.”

“I think her the bravest woman I know, beloved.” Legolas took a sip from the chilled goblet and set it aside so he could unbraid my hair and comb through it with his fingers. “If I had had to endure eight hours of labor pains, I do not think I would have been as gracious as she was when we all descended on her.”

“You would have done it and done it well, my love.” I said a bit gruffly since thinking about his labor still made me feel a little frightened. “I’m just glad that we didn’t have to wait so long to see our babies.”

He kissed my temple and went back to massaging my scalp with his strong fingers. “Next time, I shall know what to expect and you will help me through it just as you did this time. With Lorrin and Papa helping, I shall fear nothing.”

“Hah,” Papa snorted and finished his beer. “You should still wait a bit before asking Lorrin for that potion. Get strong and healthy before you get pregnant again.”

“I’m fine, Papa.” My love turned his sweet smile on my father and I watched him melt, the same way that I did when it was focused on me. “Gimli and I have decided to wait until the twins are three. Next year we will focus on the Council and plans for rebuilding Middle-earth. The year after that,” he shrugged gracefully, “after that we’ll see what the Old Ones have in store for our family.”

I had an urge to kiss him right then and there but Lorrin was suddenly beside us. I swear the man is a cat, the way he appears and disappears. After chatting for a few moments, he and Papa left for the guest house. They were going to stay there for another day to make sure everything was all right before they returned to White Cap. 

“Beloved,” Legolas lifted the hair from the back of my neck and was slowly kissing his way to that spot behind my right ear. “While I like the idea of Pharin being a healer, I fear she is growing up too fast. She’s not yet two.”

I chuckled and shivered at the same time. Moving a bit sideways, I looked into those beautiful blue eyes of his. “She and Glimmer are decidedly not like the children that we were. They are small miracles but we can not judge what is right for them based on how we grew up. I think Pharin thought that today was a fun thing not really a lesson at all.”

He nibbled on my lower lip while he pondered my words. With a sweep of my tongue, I welcomed him into my mouth and we kissed for long moments before he pulled a little bit away. “You’re right, beloved. She called it ‘playing’. I wonder if there is anything she or Glimmer would call work? They both enjoy their lessons in letters from me and they treat them like a fun game.”

“It was the same when Papa showed them the forge. They wanted to try it immediately. They have little fear of either hard work or new knowledge. I think it comes from their elements.” I’d been watching them interact with our world and day-dreaming about what they would be when they grew up.

His smile is so beautiful that I lost my train of thought. “Gimli, you are without a doubt the smartest dwarf in Middle-earth.” He kissed me hard then slipped from behind me to stand up and stretch. “Let’s go to bed and celebrate our three new residents.” He cast me a sultry look then sauntered for our bedroom. “We can practice making babies.”

Yes! I rose to my feet full of energy and chased him onto our bed. With the doors shut, I had no fear that we’d wake up the twins. We can both be rather vocal when we make love. Rolling on our wide bed, we stripped each other bare before the tickle attack began. We were both shaking with laughter when I stilled his slender body beneath mine to look my fill of him.

“You are more beautiful today than you were on our long journey, Legolas.” I told him the truth.

“Gimli,” he smiled fondly and wiggled our shafts together. “You grow wiser every day. Can you tell what I am thinking right this minute?”

I reached for the oil on our bedside table. “Practice!”

********* Pharin ********* 

Mama and Dada were making love again and it hummed in the air like the very best kind of happy song. I couldn’t go to sleep just yet because the new babies were still restless. It had been such a wonderful day and I wished that we were going to have a new little brother or sister.

That would really be fun.

Maybe if I helped them a little?

//Glimmer?//

//What?// 

//Help me fix Mama and Dada// Then I told him about my idea.

He had to think for a bit but then he agreed. We reached out together and made the space inside of Mama where we had lived before we were born ready for a new baby. Glimmer remembered to nudge Dada’s third ball so the seeds were right. Just like Uncle Sam had shown us in the garden.

There – that should do it. We giggled and fell asleep while they were still making love. Today had been the very best, perfect, really good kind of day.


End file.
